A Global Force For Good
Straight Talk with Sam
We live in a dangerous world. That's undeniable. But it doesn't mean there aren't steps the United States of America can take to make the world a safer place.
Last week more than 80 people were murdered in a horrific chemical weapons attack on the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. On Thursday night, the United States launched a targeted strike on the airfield in Syria from where that chemical attack was launched.
Our response makes clear that the United States is committed to preventing international war crimes and that we strongly condemn the use of weapons of mass destruction, especially against innocent civilians. I will continue to support any effort to ensure the Assad regime is held accountable for that atrocity.
It's critical for Congress to work with the President and the Pentagon to craft a prudent and responsible path forward in Syria. And that's why it's so important for America to continue investing in our military, ensuring it remains the strongest and most well-equipped force for good in this world.
Last month I joined a bipartisan majority in the House in helping to pass the Department of Defense Appropriations for 2017. But as the Senate stalls on this desperately needed bill, the House Armed Services Committee is working to ensure our military gets the long-term funding they deserve.
Plain and simple, a short term budget would be devastating to our men and women in uniform.
Without it, we would be leaving our military vulnerable at a time we can least afford it. We would break faith with service members and their families, cutting pay and delaying deployment announcements until the last minute.
Without it, we would be shrinking our military even further doubling down on the cuts our armed forces suffered through under President Obama.
And without a real defense appropriations bill, the Air Force would be unable to retain pilots; the Navy would be unable to deploy ships to Europe and the Middle East; and the Marine Corps will run the risk of having too few munitions to respond to a crisis.
A fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to ensure our military remains the strongest on earth. And part of that is doing everything possible to support the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country. As your Representative and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, that will continue to be my top priority in Washington.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves