Ranking Member Adam Smith’s Statement on Defense Budget
February 13, 2012
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith made the following statement after the release of the FY2013 Department of Defense Budget:
“Earlier this year, the President released the findings of a strategic review, which clearly articulated the global threat environment, and presented a broad strategy to address those threats moving forward. The budget released today supports that strategy by ensuring that our military has the tools and resources necessary to deter, confront and defeat threats wherever they may emerge.
“This is the right way to develop a defense budget - generate a coherent strategy, and then provide resources to fund that strategy. I applaud the President for initiating the strategic review process and I applaud former Secretary Gates and current Secretary of Defense Panetta for effectively carrying it out.
“I have consistently said that we can rationally evaluate our national security strategy, our defense expenditures, and the current set of missions we ask the military to undertake and come up with a strategy that enhances national security by spending taxpayer dollars more wisely and effectively. I believe this budget meets that goal.
“This budget is also fully consistent with the funding levels set by the Budget Control Act passed by Congress. Although I did not support this act, many members of the House Armed Services Committee did so, Congress passed it, and the Department of Defense has submitted a budget that complies with the congressionally-mandated funding levels.
“Over the last few years, our military has put together a significant string of foreign policy successes, including the death of bin Laden, Anwar Al-Awlaki, the elimination of much of al Qaeda's leadership, the end of the war in Iraq, and supporting the uprising in Libya. The budget lays out a strategy that will enable the United States to build on those successes and confront the threats of today as well as in the future."
“Earlier this year, the President released the findings of a strategic review, which clearly articulated the global threat environment, and presented a broad strategy to address those threats moving forward. The budget released today supports that strategy by ensuring that our military has the tools and resources necessary to deter, confront and defeat threats wherever they may emerge.
“This is the right way to develop a defense budget - generate a coherent strategy, and then provide resources to fund that strategy. I applaud the President for initiating the strategic review process and I applaud former Secretary Gates and current Secretary of Defense Panetta for effectively carrying it out.
“I have consistently said that we can rationally evaluate our national security strategy, our defense expenditures, and the current set of missions we ask the military to undertake and come up with a strategy that enhances national security by spending taxpayer dollars more wisely and effectively. I believe this budget meets that goal.
“This budget is also fully consistent with the funding levels set by the Budget Control Act passed by Congress. Although I did not support this act, many members of the House Armed Services Committee did so, Congress passed it, and the Department of Defense has submitted a budget that complies with the congressionally-mandated funding levels.
“Over the last few years, our military has put together a significant string of foreign policy successes, including the death of bin Laden, Anwar Al-Awlaki, the elimination of much of al Qaeda's leadership, the end of the war in Iraq, and supporting the uprising in Libya. The budget lays out a strategy that will enable the United States to build on those successes and confront the threats of today as well as in the future."
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