Morning Bell: Funding the Right Force to Protect America

Mike Brownfield / April 07, 2011

A battle continues to rage in Washington over the 2011 federal budget, and a long-term war on how to cut the $14.3 trillion dollar deficit is about to begin. But as political opponents spar over spending, the United States military is waging a real war in Afghanistan, helping to stabilize Iraq, conducting operations across the globe from Libya to Yemen, Haiti to Somalia, and providing assistance to Japan following its natural disaster. With the prospect of a government shutdown looming, some in Congress have rightly devoted special attention to ensuring our military remains fully funded in the short term. But as the debate begins over the 2012 budget and beyond, both Congress and the White House must field the right military force to protect America today and into the future.

From welfare to Social Security, stimulus spending to Obamacare, big government politicians have charted a course of bigger spending, all on the American taxpayer’s dime. Some of these actions are unquestionably unconstitutional and are putting the squeeze on other national priorities. Chief among those priorities is the federal government’s obligation, set forth in the U.S. Constitution, to keep America safe. You don’t have to look any further than the Preamble to see that the purpose of the government is to “provide for the common defense.” It is a duty that stands apart from all others and that is superior to any other it has. Yet some politicians put our military on the chopping block as they look to cut spending, regardless of the force requirements that must be met in order to protect America. That’s no way to fulfill a constitutional obligation to defend a nation. (more…)