Come join The Heritage Foundation August 14 at 10 a.m. for a discussion on “Disaster Response and Defense Support to Civil Authorities” as part of the Homeland Security 2012 series—and on August 15 at 11 a.m. for a discussion on the National Guard and sequestration.
As the election nears and the defense budget is contested, it is clear that the President is putting politics before the interest of the American people and, most importantly, before American national security. Ignoring the warnings from the leadership in his own Administration, President Obama plans dramatic and disproportionate cuts to the Pentagon’s budget to carry out the sequestration that will go into effect January 2.
The proposed $500 billion in cuts will cause the military incomprehensible damage. The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps has testified that the sequester would leave the Marines “unable to meet a single major contingency operation.” In addition, these cuts will have impact at the state level as they will hollow out the National Guard, cutting the Army and Air National Guard in every state. The result of such cuts could be devastating considering the support provided by the National Guard during domestic disasters.
These disproportionate funding cuts will undermine military readiness and weaken America’s homeland security. The commander in chief should not be willing to set in motion the destruction of our vital military capabilities.
