WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today spoke on the Senate floor about the lack of military and defense funding as the Senate began debate on legislation to increase the debt limit.
- GRAHAM: “You cannot say with a straight face that this military budget is a counter to Chinese aggression, that it adequately allows us to defeat Putin. You cannot say with a straight face that this budget represents the threats America faces. A military budget should be based on threats, not political deals to avoid default.” https://youtu.be/iIK4_q3BbRA?t=784
- GRAHAM: “The topline is inadequate, the CR is devastating, and what bothers me the most is that we would put the Department of Defense in this position. We are playing with the men and women’s lives in military, their ability to defend themselves, as some chess game in Washington. Well, this is checkers at best. The fact that you would punish the military because we can’t do our jobs as politicians is a pretty sad moment for me.” https://youtu.be/iIK4_q3BbRA?t=597
- GRAHAM: “The Chief of Naval Operations said we need 373 ships manned and 150 unmanned platforms to deal with the threats we face around the world. We have 296 [ships manned] today. Under this budget deal we go to 286 by 2025. What does it take to get to 373? The CNO [Chief of Naval Operations] of the Navy said to get 373, you have to spend five percent above inflation for a sustained period of time. This bill is [1.6] percent below inflation, so we are undercutting the ability of the Navy to build the ships we need to defend America.” https://youtu.be/iIK4_q3BbRA?t=403
- GRAHAM: “If you believe that the number one job of the federal government is to defend this nation, then we have made a serious mistake in this bill. I have heard House leaders suggest that this bill fully funds the military. For that to be true you have to believe that the military is okay if you cut their budget billions of dollars below inflation.” https://youtu.be/iIK4_q3BbRA?t=14
Click here to watch Graham’s full remarks
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIK4_q3BbRA
Original source can be found here.
