Turnovers Tempt Tyrants

Congress has again dropped the ball in the performance of its most basic function - providing for our common defense by adequately funding military readiness. The Pentagon has been operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) since last fall - meaning the resources are frozen at last year's levels.

Yet, during Speaker Pelosi’s statement about the fumbled CR on the floor of House said, “I salute [Appropriations Committee Chair] Congresswoman DeLauro. She did a masterful job.” Our ‘Masterful’ Congressional leaders have dropped the ball while our greatest adversaries are invading neighboring countries, threatening our allies in Europe, and accelerating their development of weapons of mass destruction.

This Congressional failure is best highlighted by the fact that the CR continues to allocate billions of dollars to the non-existent "Afghan security forces" which the Pentagon cannot reprogram for its current needs.

If Congress continues to treat our national defense as a political football, America will lose the superpower game. To turn things around, we need to put Americans with integrity, real life experience, unquestionable courage, and strategic resolve in Congress.

It is time to put more conservative veterans in Congress who will strengthen, not weaken, America’s national defense and our position in the world. Veterans will take America's defense more seriously. We remember the words of President Ronald Reagan who said, “We know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak. It is then that tyrants are tempted.”