Our Debt to those Who Serve

Statement

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of speaking to members of the Central Texas-Ft. Hood Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). Established in 1950, the AUSA is a non-profit educational organization that supports members of the Army and their families. The Central Texas-Ft. Hood Chapter, which has over 14,000 members, facilitates a strong relationship between Ft. Hood and the surrounding communities.

Over the past decade, Ft. Hood has made huge contributions to the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as suffering a terrible attack here at home. As we mourn the loss of these American heroes who gave their lives both on battlefields overseas and on American soil, we should reflect on the causes for which they died and look to the future to ensure that our troops and veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve.

While it is absolutely necessary that Washington gets its spending under control, the U.S. military should not bear the brunt of this challenge. Defense spending is not the cause of our looming fiscal crisis, so cutting it to the bone won't solve the problem. A thoughtful approach to deficit reduction must involve reforming our entitlement programs. Social Security and Medicare are approaching insolvency, and in order to save them they must be reformed. Some in Congress refuse to reform entitlements while insisting on gutting defense spending. From a fiscal perspective, this makes no sense -- the numbers just don't add up. From a national security perspective, it is deeply alarming.

Failing to take a balanced approach to deficit reduction puts at risk both our senior citizens and our veterans. This is a risk I refuse to take and will work tirelessly with my colleagues to make sure we reduce our fiscal debt without retreating from our duties to ensure a strong national defense and repay the debt of gratitude we owe our men and women in uniform.

Source