News From the Democratic Leaders
Washington,D.C.-Democratic Senators Jack Reed and Dodd today joined to release a troubling letter from Natioal Security Advisory Group,a group of defence and national security experts chaired by former Secretary of Defence William J. Perry,sounding the alarm over failed Bush Administration policies that have strained the Army and Marine Corps' budget.The Defence exports sent the letter to the Democratic Leaders of the House and Senate,charging the Bush Administration with underfunding the Army and "a serious failure of civilian stewardship of the military".
The Group stated that two-thirds of the Army's operating force,active and reserve,is now reporting in as unready,and that there is not a single non-deployed Army Brigade Combat Team in the U.S. that is ready to deploy.The Group said"the bottom line is our Army currently has no ready, strategic reserve. Not since the Vietnam era and its aftermath has the Army's readness been so degraded."
The experts said"the administration's willingness to put our nation as such strategic risk is deeply disturbing" and recommended that Congress exercise its oversight responsibilities more effectively and increase funding to restore the Army's readiness to necessary levels,beginning with amendment to the fiscal year 2007 defence appropriations bill soon to be debated on the floor of the Senate.
Speaking of these disturbing revelations ,Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said:"President Bush ran for president by criticizing the state of Army readiness, promising that 'help is on the way.' Six years later, the Bush Administration has created a readiness crisis far worse than anything we have seen since the Vietnam era. The Bush Administration's leadership is failing our men and women of the military, and it is time for a new direction."
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said: "Under President Bush and the Republican Congress a large part of our Army could not respond to a crisis. Five years after the 9/11 attacks and with threats to our security evident around the world, this failure to maintain military readiness is unacceptable and dangerous."
Releasing the letter today, Senator Reid said "The men and women so bravely serving our nation should not have to worry about whether they have adequate equipment and resources to do their job. The Administration must provide necessary funding to the Army and the Marine Corps to reset and recapitalize their equipment before the readiness of these forces are decisively compromised. And, they must do this without the budgetary gimmicks that they have consistently employed to avoid the hard choices of funding our soldiers and continuing to support our domestic needs."
The National Security Advisory Group provides analysis and recommendations on long-term defense and national security issues to the House and Senate Democratic Leaders. Today's letter is an update to their last report, "The U.S. Military: Under Strain and at Risk" released in January 2006.
The group members are:
William J. Perry (former Secretary of Defense)
Madeline K. Albright (former Secretary of State)
Graham T. Allison (former Assistand Secretary of Defense)
Samuel R. Berger (former National Security Advisor)
Ashton B. Carter (former Assistant Secretary of Defense)
Wesly K. Clark (former Supreme Allied Commander Europe)
Thomas E. Donilon (former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State)
Michele A, Flourney (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense)
John D. Podesta (former White House Chief of Staff)
Susan E. Rice (former Assistant Secretary of State)
John M. Shalikashvili (former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)
Wendy R. Sherman (former State Department Counselor)
Elizabeth D. Sherwood-Randall (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense)
James B. Steinberg (former Deputy National Security Advisor)
There is a letter at
http://janets-conner.blogspot.com
This is one more update from the Leadership office