This upcoming Sunday, the people of Venezuela will hold an election that, if legitimate, would put an end to years of the oppressive Maduro narco-regime. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a statement in support of the Venezuelan people: “The...
News
Latest News
Rubio: “La Tenacidad y Valentía del Pueblo venezolano Estarán a la Vista”
Este próximo domingo, el pueblo venezolano tendrá una elección que, de ser legítima, pondría fin a años de opresión por parte del narco-régimen de Maduro. El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) grabó un mensaje de video en español y emitió una declaración en...
Rubio, Scott, Colleagues to Biden Admin: No Privileges Should Be Given to 9/11 Terrorist
Twenty-three years ago, the United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Now, Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in a U.S. court for his role in the attack, has requested the U.S. Department of Justice to allow a prisoner transfer...
Next Week: Rubio Staff Hosts Mobile Office Hours
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
Rubio, Colleagues Introduce Ensuring Continuity in Veterans’ Health Act
As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opens up new facilities, many veterans are losing access to the VA’s Community Care Program and, consequently, their long-term healthcare providers. Veterans throughout the country have reported a loss of care, including...
Rubio Introduces Bill to Strengthen U.S.-India Security Partnership
The U.S.-India partnership is vital to countering influences from Communist China. In order to strengthen this partnership, it is essential to enhance our strategic diplomatic, economic, and military relationship with New Delhi. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)...
ICYMI: Across-the-board cuts disarm nation’s defense
Politico
March 29, 2012
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74598.html
We joined earlier this year to introduce a bill that replaces the across-the-board cuts imposed by the Budget Control Act — cuts to both defense and nondefense programs — with more responsible savings.
While these across-the-board cuts won’t take full effect for another nine months, our national security and military already have been undermined.
This is far more than some far-off problem, to be confronted later. As a top defense official recently suggested, the cuts are making the military’s difficult task of defense planning even more complicated by preventing the Pentagon from knowing exactly what resources will be available.
Indeed, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said such cuts would lead to, “the smallest ground force since 1940, the smallest number of ships since 1915 and the smallest air force in … [U.S.] history.” Panetta also correctly characterized the cuts as a “meat ax” approach, because they’re not just deep — they also slice indiscriminately across the board, and it’s not as though the military can simply purchase 5/6 of a ship or a submarine.
We all agree that the Defense Department must eliminate wasteful programs and continue to find efficiencies; however, our defense policy is becoming less about military strategy and more about fiscal strategy. Officials are forced to align resources to reflect arbitrary budget numbers rather than actual threats confronting the United States.
Moreover, preserving American freedom depends on our ability to protect economic and security interests around the globe. Yet some of our most fundamental missions and critical alliances are now threatened. Our enemies — who welcome a weakened U.S. with a smaller military, aging equipment and uncertain capabilities — are growing emboldened, sensing our diminished ability to respond effectively.
When we meet with visiting allies, many officials now despair that the looming cuts have encouraged our adversaries. In particular, they often cite Iran, which has moved rapidly ahead in pursuit of nuclear weapons.
U.S. servicemen and women are our nation’s finest, and we can’t maintain our global military edge without them. This edge is also sustained by a robust U.S. defense industrial base, which leads the world in technology and innovation. These looming cuts are a “huge disruption,” according to industry leaders, that are “already having a chilling effect” — forcing defense companies to make difficult choices. Businesses are becoming increasingly unable to hire workers, train employees or invest in research and development. And with these cuts scheduled to take effect three months into the fiscal year, companies will be forced to break many current contracts — something that is both costly and highly inefficient.
We need predictability to reverse this trend and defend our national security — another reason it is so critical to undo these harmful cuts.
Keep reading here.