Investing in Defense

Statement

The world today can change rapidly, technology does change rapidly, and we need to continue to invest in the best most effective defense. While there is no question that the Oath of Office requires congressmen to uphold the constitution, and the Constitution calls on the congress to provide for the common defense, there is a lot of disagreement on how best to do that. I believe in a strong defense, but I also believe in spending your taxes wisely, investing them in ways that provide the best "return on investment" to you.

How do you do that? By looking carefully at expenditures to make sure we are getting what we are paying for, that there isn't a lot of waste, and that we aren't just throwing money at it for show. While a county budget is very small compared to the defense budget, the principles of a common sense approach to spending are the same. We have to make sure we are getting the most from our money, and that our expenditures are fulfilling our goals. As a businessman, I always wanted to get the most for my money, and as in elected official I've always made sure you get the most for your money. We can have strong defense without raising taxes if we are careful and responsible about how we spend it.

As a nation of good-will, one willing to help our neighbors out, we need to be able to keep our promises. We are part of many multi-national agreements to stand together in the defense of all, and we need to maintain our ability to keep that word. Our current obligations, in Afghanistan and Iraq, are examples of where we need to keep our word. Whether you supported the actions in those countries ahead of time or not, we are there today, and we need to do whatever it takes to help those people develop the institutions that will let them provide for themselves stability, freedom and prosperity. When we have accomplished that mission, then it will be time to withdraw and re-deploy our defensive resources. In the meantime we have to continue to support the mission and see it through to the end. It may be costly today, but it is an investment in peace for the future.

We live in the greatest country the world has ever known, but it's a dangerous world where there are people who would like to see the U.S. fall. Our children have a right to inherit the freedoms we know, and our job is to guarantee those freedoms by investing in a strong defense. We need to be able to fight the modern war, and we need to be able to respond to attacks on us with a moments notice.

"A stronger defense is an investment in peace. It helps ensure that our sons and daughters will not have to pay the price that so many before them had to."

— President Ronald Reagan
Radio Address to the Nation on Economic Recovery and
National Defense, December 18, 1982