Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By PAUL DEMARCO / Guest Columnist

President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for the Department of Defense has raised the concerns of Alabama lawmakers regarding the effects on the nation’s military readiness.

Both Sen. Richard Shelby and Rep. Mike Rogers sharply criticized the budget by pointing out that they do not believe the president’s request meet the needs of the nation’s defense, particularly in modernizing and improving the weapon’s technology for the future and the sacrifices the military will have to make with the proposed budget.

Senator Shelby pointed out that the United States Army’s proposed budget is a 2-percent reduction from the past year, which is a dramatic reduction compared to what the countries adversaries are doing.

Rogers also chided the proposed defense budget as being inadequate for the nation’s mission to protect the country and how insufficient to allow the military to do their job.

Both Russia and China have significantly increased their military budgets and thus the president’s reduced budget is emboldening our enemies.

These two Alabama leaders have now thrown down the gauntlet to the president—either properly fund the military or risk the United States national security.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives.