Op-Ed

Thankful Corker Stood Up To Pentagon Spending

Sep 21, 2017 | By Ryan Alexander | 1 min read | Print Article

Originally published on September 20, 2017 in The Chattanoogan

I’m writing to thank Senator Bob Corker for his principled stand on the issue of Pentagon spending.

Earlier this week, Senator Corker voted against a Pentagon policy bill that would authorize nearly $700 billion in spending. This is a brave stance for a Republican, as Pentagon spending has become the new “third rail” in federal budgeting. Vote against a single dollar for the military and national leaders risk the false accusation of being “soft” or “weak”.

But with deficits rising and Congress evading the modest budget caps they voted for in 2011 by taking large amounts of Pentagon spending “off-budget” and into a slush fund, fiscal conservatives need to take a stand. Senator Corker has done that with this vote. He explained his reasoning, in part:

“While I support investing the appropriate resources to ensure our troops have the tools they need, we cannot continue to do things the same way and deepen the fiscal crisis jeopardizing our national security. The inability to get our fiscal house in order is the greatest threat to our country, and I will continue fighting for an agreement that responsibly funds our military without adding to our massive deficits.”

My organization strongly supports this position and I applaud Senator Corker’s decision.

Ryan Alexander, President
Taxpayers for Common Sense