House lawmakers plan to call on President Trump to grant a $733B budget for the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2020 to restore the U.S. military’s readiness.
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Cutting DoD’s budget lower than the proposed figure “will have disastrous consequences for our military readiness, as was proven by sequestration,†Rep. Mike Turner, Ohio-10, said in a letter signed by 70 lawmakers. Turner, chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, cited a Congressional report warning that the U.S. has been losing the ability to defend its allies, partners and interests due to budget cuts during the Obama Administration.
“We’ve seen the devastating effects on readiness when our military is forced to make arbitrary cuts as our adversaries continue to aggressively invest in their national security operations,†said Turner.Â
The House members plan to send the letter to Trump by the end of next week. Turner said Trump should review Congressional decisions in recent fiscal years when DoD secured $700B to $716B in funding to address problems with the U.S. military readiness.
