The Clinton budgets smack of political judgments substituting for sound professional military judgements. Inhofe used Thursday's hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness to voice his concern that the Clinton budget proposals were unrealistic. Testifying before the committee were the current presiding Service Chiefs from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Marines. Inhofe spoke in the wake of news reports indicating that the Joint Chiefs' internal request for increased defense procurement spending was rejected by the White House. I believe this is unacceptable, considering the dangerous world we are confronting now and in the future.
National defense is, by definition, our first priority.
It is time to get serious about modernizing the systems and equipment on which our armed forces depend. It is time to do what we know is right.