Roby discusses defense spending, national debt

U.S Rep. Martha Roby addressed members of the Fort Rucker–Wiregrass Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) about defense spending and America’s growing deficit during a general membership breakfast Aug. 22.

Civic leaders, AUSA members and local soldiers crowded the family life center at First United Methodist Church in Ozark as Roby addressed her growing concern about mandatory spending.

“I’ve opposed the Budget Control Act and sequestration because of the disproportionate cuts to our military,” Roby said. “I’m for cutting spending, reducing the deficit and making sure our country is on a sustainable path. However, the sequester cuts across the board indiscriminately, without taking our priorities into account.”

Roby displayed a chart showcasing mandatory spending, discretionary spending, defense spending and the net interest owned on the nation’s current debt.

Mandatory spending includes programs such as Welfare, Medicare and Social Security, which cannot be cut without congressional intervention.

“If we stay on this path, in 10 years we will be spending more money to the pay the interest on our debt than our national defense,” she said. “Our job in congress is to provide for a strong national defense, and if we don’t get this mandatory spending under control we will not be unable to do so.”

Roby said the Unites States could cut all discretionary and defense spending, and would still operate at a deficit because of mandatory spending.

The congresswoman called on citizens and civic leaders to get serious about the nation’s spending, especially in the coming months as the new fiscal year begins.

According to Roby, House members have proposed two budgets with real solutions, which she has supported.

“When we propose a budget and say, ‘We have got to reform Medicare, we’ve got to reform social security, while keeping our promise to our seniors,’ we’re not kidding,” she said. “The choices are doing something or they go broke.”

Though reforms in mandatory spending are and will remain a priority, Roby said the House is currently working to prevent sequestration from happening again next year.

“We attached a continuing resolution to the Senate Appropriations Bill, which gave our commanders and the people making decisions a little bit of wiggle room to make sure they could prioritize,” Roby said. “We were told there were going to be 22 furlough days. There were only six. That’s still terrible, and I know it hurts a lot of our families.”

If spending habits don’t change, Roby said the Department of Defense could likely see sequestration measures taken again in the future.

According to Roby, an increase of spending in the defense appropriations bill, and decreased spending in the other appropriation bills, could prevent that.

Currently, though, Congress is still bound by the sequester-level spending in the DOD, which is just more than 900 billion dollars.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘shut down the government and defund Obamacare,’” she said. “It’s a terrible law that I’ve voted against more than 40 times, but shutting down the government doesn’t help our men and women in uniform and it definitely doesn’t fix our problem with (mandatory spending).”

Roby also discussed the ongoing investigations being conducted by the House Oversight Committee into several scandals, including the terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya and the more recent targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service.

“With a majority in the house, we have the opportunity for oversight into a lot of what’s been going on in Washington that has mislead the American people,” Roby said. “I know this is not happening as fast or as expeditious as you would like, but just like any preparation for a court case, you have to take is slowly because you want to get it right.”

Roby said she understands the sacrifices members of the military and their families have to make, add added she has always had a profound respect for both.

“I can not thank you enough,” she said. “Not just the service members and their families, but the committed community partners who understand the importance of Fort Rucker and all of our military installations. You are working to make sure we’re preparing our men and women in uniform for tomorrow.”