Politicizing the Defense Budget

Statement

Congressman Doug Lamborn has issued the following statement after reports surfaced of a plan out of the Obama Administration designed to politicize the defense budget process.

"As this year's Defense Budget approaches the finish line, the Obama Administration has been caught red-handed finding new ways to play partisan political games with our national security. For over fifty years, the defense budget process has been a bipartisan and serious-minded effort designed to provide our military with the tools it needs to defend our country. For the Pentagon to so blatantly follow the White House's politics first approach is a depressing commentary on this Administration's utter disregard for our national security needs.

Let's be clear about what's happening here: the Pentagon is lobbying Congress to support President Obama's vetoing of the defense bill, merely because Democrats want more money for domestic programs that are completely unrelated to the defense budget. The memo's detailed political analysis, vote-counts, and pleas for messaging discipline are what you would expect from a memo written by a K Street lobbying firm, not our military leaders.

What we need from the Pentagon leadership is clear, honest answers about what our military needs, not partisan, political games. Our military deserves better. As a Conferee for this year's defense bill, I will continue to work with my Senate counterparts to ensure we fund our national security needs in a responsible, bipartisan way."

- Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05)

Source