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Defense spending a ‘moral imperative,’ GOP senator says

by Mark Hensch - 06/13/15 6:00 AM ET

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) on Saturday said the Senate is obligated to pass a national defense spending bill despite President Obama’s veto threat against it.

Blunt called on his colleagues to approve the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the weekly GOP address.

“We live in a challenging time where threats are numerous and the landscape is continually changing,” said Blunt, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

{mosads}“It is a moral imperative to provide for our national defense and for the service members, veterans and their families that protect and secure our freedoms.”

Blunt also urged Obama and Senate Democrats not to hold up the proposed spending bill’s passage over disagreements on unrelated spending.

The president and many Democrats have said they will only support the NDAA if non-defense spending is raised in concert with defense funding increases.

“We can spend all the time we want talking about other priorities and all the other things we should be doing, but almost every American and an overwhelming number of Missourians agree with me; the most important role of the federal government is to do the one thing we can’t do by ourselves – defend our country,” Blunt said Saturday.

Blunt argued the NDAA deserved “the complete attention” of Congress because of its importance to national security.

Spending issues unrelated to defense, he added, could receive attention from lawmakers at a later date.

“In this debate, we are looking for ways to focus our resources on where the defenders are,” Blunt said of the NDAA’s potential impact.

“In other words, the bill redirects defense resources to our nation’s fighting forces – not more bureaucrats at the Pentagon,” he said.

Blunt cited the NDAA’s funding for cybersecurity upgrades, improved military benefits and technology for Israel as reasons why passing it quickly was crucial.

More importantly, he added, it would streamline America’s defenses while curbing inefficient spending.

“As a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I understand the importance of eliminating wasteful military spending, reducing bureaucracy, streamlining critical military functions and supporting those who serve – including military families,” he said.

“The defense bill identifies 10 billion dollars in excessive and unnecessary spending and reallocates those funds to military capabilities.”

Blunt also argued Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was mistaken when he claimed last week that taking up the NDAA was largely “a waste of time” because of Obama’s veto threat.

U.S. troops were too important for Congress not to try enacting the proposed defense spending bill, he said.

“America’s service members and their families make tremendous sacrifices every day to protect our freedoms,” Blunt said.

“With our country facing increased threats at home and abroad, providing for our nation’s defense is never ‘a waste of time,’ ” he added.

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