On Defense - and the National Defense Authorization Act

“I believe, as our Founding Fathers did, that one of the federal government’s top priorities is to provide for the common defense. Congress must shrink the size of government, but I feel strongly that a $1 trillion cut to defense spending is inappropriate and dangerous.

“President Obama’s decision to abandon our nation’s long-held two-war strategy will result in reductions of more than 100,000 well-trained troops, while leaving us insufficiently prepared for potential attacks.

“Our current congressman’s silence on these reductions is telling. He should be angered by these cuts, as they lessen our ability to mount a strong defense and keep a robust ground force. Instead, he’s naively telling the media that the president’s new strategy – and its accompanying cuts – will not adversely impact Fort Drum.

“America has established itself as a global leader by creating a strong military presence both here and overseas. That power provides a good deal of economic security and strengthens our ties with like-minded allies who can augment our military forces.

“President Obama’s cuts – as well as those to be made as a result of Congress’ failure to make cuts in domestic spending – will reduce our ground force to the smallest level it’s been since before World War II. Our Navy acts as a deterrent to our enemies while also protecting free and open trade. But if these cuts are allowed to stand, our fleet will be at the smallest it’s been since World War I, making it potentially unable to provide a rapid response in times of conflict.

“Like some, I am opposed to language in the National Defense Authorization Act that could be used to indefinitely detain American citizens. I am skeptical that this section of the law will not be broadly interpreted and abused. If this section were its own stand-alone bill, I would have strongly opposed it. And, when elected, I will advocate for its repeal in a separate bill.

“However, we must acknowledge reality. The Act provided $662 billion in needed funding for our military. That figure includes $54 million in new construction and upgrades at Fort Drum, which would create an estimated 340 jobs.

“We must provide all we can – training, weapons and equipment – for our soldiers in combat zones overseas. But we also bear an equally important responsibility to our soldiers’ families and dependents, who have also sacrificed for our country. This funding bill would expand outpatient services, dental clinic hours and airport accommodations for those stationed at Fort Drum. All are needed.”

“I want to keep Fort Drum strong. I want to keep our military strong. And to do that, we must fund these essential programs. So I would have supported the Act, as presented.” - Matt Doheny