July 31, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today praised the House of Representatives for voting in favor of an amendment offered by Representatives Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) and Barney Frank (D-MA) that freezes defense spending at 2012 levels of $606 billion:
“Members are to be thanked for standing up for fiscal responsibility while protecting our nation’s defense at a time when former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike McMullen has declared the $15.8 trillion national debt to be the No. 1 threat to our national security. Besides a failure to meet our fiscal obligations, our worsening budget picture will mean that the U.S. will be unable to meet its security obligations around the world, destabilizing whole regions.
“For that reason alone, defense spending — and every other part of the budget including entitlements — must be on the table when it comes to restoring order to our fiscal house. We cannot afford to operate a global empire—no great power ever has without it eventually leading to decline. We must reconsider our role in the world, and find ways to assist our allies — including through arms sales — that does not necessarily require our presence.
“Our national security should not be based on an irrational belief in a printing press to meet our obligations when we are under threat or in peacetime. As has been seen throughout the financial crisis since 2007, we cannot place our faith in the banks to protect the nation’s best interests. Congress has to act responsibly to ensure that our security posture — and the rest of the budget — are on a sustainable trajectory. Right now we’re nowhere near that.”
Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.
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