During this week’s GOP radio address Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., touted the $612 billion defense bill soon to be taken up by the Senate, which would boost the Pentagon’s war funding account by $8 billion over what President Obama requested.
“This bill takes a common-sense approach: It cuts spending from programs that have been delayed or failed to perform, and redirects that revenue to meet the critical needs of our war fighters,” said Fischer, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, of the National Defense Authorization Act in the the weekly Republican address.
“In all, this year’s NDAA finds $10 billion in savings, which it uses to increase the capability and the training of our men and women in uniform,” she added, specifically pointing to the Pentagon’s “growing bureaucracy.” NDAA would cut the Pentagon’s headquarters and management staff by 30 percent over the next four years.
“The federal government has no higher priority than protecting the American people,” Fischer said.
The bill, which passed through the Armed Services committee with only four Democrats against it, is expected to head to the Senate floor as early as June.
“I was proud to contribute to this bipartisan legislation, which was overwhelmingly approved by our committee earlier this month,” Fischer said, calling the bill something former President Ronald Reagan would be supportive of because it follows his principle of “peace through strength.”
“From Iran’s nuclear ambitions to China’s aggressive territorial expansion, Russia’s belligerence as a regional bully, and the growing threat of the Islamic State, we have no shortage of challenges,” Fischer said. “This underscores the importance of providing for our military. A strong and capable defense deters our adversaries.”
