Rigell Amendment to Stop Devastating Military Cuts Passes House

Press Release

Faced with unprecedented budget cuts to the military that would devastate the local Hampton Roads economy, Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-02) offered, and the House of Representatives passed, an amendment to the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to halt automatic defense cuts brought about by congressional negotiators' failure to come up with a deficit reduction plan last year.

The automatic sequestration of nearly $500 billion in defense funding would span over 10 years; this amendment would avert sequestration in FY2013 by instructing Congress to find the necessary offsets this year.

"Washington's failure to come to an agreement on paying down our nation's $15 trillion debt is threatening our national security and the main economic driver in Hampton Roads," said Rigell, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

"The current sequestration model represents an 8-12 percent cut in defense spending -- a violent reduction that will devastate our military and the industries that support it. My amendment opens an avenue to stop those cuts for 2013," said Rigell.

"Ten cents of every defense dollar in the Pentagon's budget is spent in Virginia, and 20 percent of all jobs in Virginia are dependent on military spending," said Rigell. "At the same time, there is no doubt that our nation's spending is out of control and that Congress must find common ground so we can bring fiscal responsibility back to America. However, defense is not ground I am willing to concede," added Rigell.

Rigell added that sequestration would require massive force reductions of more than 200,000 troops, leaving the smallest ground forces since 1940 and a remaining force more vulnerable to emerging threats. It would likely entail breaking compensation, health care, and other commitments to generations of service members, families, and survivors who already have spent decades sacrificing their personal interests in service to their country.

Further consequences would also include the smallest fleet of ships since before the U.S. entered World War I, the smallest tactical fighter force in the history of the Air Force, and reductions of 20 percent in defense civilian personnel.

The FY2013 NDAA is expected to pass the House later today and will then be sent to the Senate for consideration.

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