Chairman Gillespie Statement on Senator Kerry's Revisionist Record on National Security
Washington, DC--Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie made the following statement today on Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry’s comments on national security:
"Candidate Kerry's rhetoric doesn't match up with Senator Kerry's voting record. Before he was a presidential candidate, Kerry voted to slash billions in defense spending and supported proposals to cut everything from Navy submarines to Air Force fighter planes."
"If Senator Kerry's cuts to our armed forces had become a reality, the men and women in our nation's military would be dangerously underfunded in facing the security challenges in the world today."
"President Bush's policy of preemptive self defense has made Americans safer. Senator Kerry's latest conversion on national security comes too late to be taken seriously.”
SEN. KERRY'S DEFENSE STRATEGY:
CUT CRITICAL WEAPONS SYSTEMS
In 1996, Introduced Bill To Slash Defense Department Funding By $6.5 Billion.Kerry's bill had no co-sponsors and never came to a floor vote. (S. 1580, Introduced 2/29/96; frwebgate.access.gpo.gov
In 1995, Voted To Freeze Defense Spending For 7 Years, Slashing Over $34 Billion From Defense.Only 27 other Senators voted with Kerry.
ü Fiscal 1996 Budget Resolution - Defense Freeze. "Harkin, D-Iowa, amendment to freeze defense spending for the next seven years and transfer the $34.8 billion in savings to education and job training." (S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #181: Rejected 28-71: R 2-51; D 26-20, 5/24/95, Kerry Voted Yea)
In 1993, Introduced Plan To Cut Numerous Defense Programs, Including:
ü Cut the number of Navy submarines and their crews
ü Reduce the number of light infantry units in the Army down to one
ü Reduce tactical fighter wings in the Air Force
ü Terminate the Navy's coastal mine-hunting ship program
ü Force the retirement of no less than 60,000 members of the Armed Forces in one year. (S.1163, Introduced 6/24/93,
Has Voted Repeatedly To Cut Defense Spending, Including:
ü In 1993, Voted Against Increased Defense Spending For Military Pay Raise.Kerry voted to kill an increase in military pay over five years. (S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #73: Motion Agreed To 55-42: R 2-39; D 53-3, 3/24/93, Kerry Voted Yea)
ü In 1992, Voted To Cut $6 Billion From Defense. Republicans and Democrats successfully blocked the attempt to cut defense spending. (S. Con. Res. 106, CQ Vote #73: Motion Agreed To 53-40: R 38-1; D 15-39, 4/9/92, Kerry Voted Nay)
ü In 1991, Voted To Slash Over $3 Billion From Defense, Shift Money To Social Programs.Only 27 Senators joined Kerry in voting for the defense cut. (H.R. 2707, CQ Vote #182: Motion Rejected 28-69: R 3-39; D 25-30, 9/10/91, Kerry Voted Yea)
ü In 1991, Voted To Cut Defense Spending By 2%.Only 21 other Senators voted with Kerry, and the defense cut was defeated. (S. Con. Res. 29, CQ Vote #49: Motion Rejected 22-73: R 1-39; D 21-34, 4/25/91, Kerry Voted Yea)
Has Voted Repeatedly To Cut Or Eliminate Funding For B-2 Stealth Bomber.(H.R. 3072, CQ Vote #203: Rejected 29-71: R 2-43; D 27-28, 9/26/89, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 3072, CQ Vote #310: Rejected 29-68: R 3-41; D 26-27, 11/18/89, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 2884, CQ Vote #208: Rejected 43-56: R 8-36; D 35-20, 8/2/90, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 2884, CQ Vote #209: Rejected 45-53: R 9-34; D 36-19, 8/2/90, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1507, CQ Vote #174: Rejected 42-57: R 7-36; D 35-21, 8/1/91, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 2521, CQ Vote #206: Motion Agreed To 51-48: R 36-7; D 15-41, 9/25/91, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2403, CQ Vote #85: Adopted 61-38: R 7-36; D 54-2, 5/6/92, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 3114, CQ Vote #216: Rejected 45-53: R 8-35; D 37-18, 9/18/92, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 2182, CQ Vote #179: Rejected 45-55: R 8-36; D 37-19, 7/1/94, Kerry Voted Yea)
Has Voted Repeatedly Against Missile Defense. (S. 1507, CQ Vote #171: Motion Agreed To 60-38: R 40-3; D 20-35, 8/1/91, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1507, CQ Vote #173: Rejected 46-52: R 5-38; D 41-14, 8/1/91, Kerry Voted Yea; H.R. 2521, CQ Vote #207: Motion Agreed To 50-49: R 38-5; D 12-44, 9/25/91, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2403, CQ Vote #85: Adopted 61-38: R 7-36; D 54-2, 5/6/92, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 3114, CQ Vote #182: Rejected 43-49: R 34-5; D 9-44, 8/7/92, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 3114, CQ Vote #214: Rejected 48-50: R 5-38; D 43-12, 9/17/92, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 3114, CQ Vote #215: Adopted 52-46: R 39-4; D 13-42, 9/17/92, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1298, CQ Vote #251: Adopted 50-48: R 6-36; D 44-12, 10/9/93, Kerry Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 63, CQ Vote #64: Rejected 40-59: R 2-42; D 38-17, 3/22/94, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1026, CQ Vote #354: Motion Agreed To 51-48: R 47-6; D 4-42, 8/3/95, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1087, CQ Vote #384: Rejected 45-54: R 5-49; D 40-5, 8/10/95, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1745, CQ Vote #160: Rejected 44-53: R 4-49; D 40-4, 6/19/96, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1507, CQ Vote #168: Rejected 39-60: R 4-39; D 35-21, 7/31/91, Kerry Voted Yea; S. 1507, CQ Vote #172: Motion Agreed To 64-34: R 39-4; D 25-30, 8/1/91, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1873, CQ Vote #131: Rejected 59-41: R 55-0; D 4-41; I 0-0, 5/13/98, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 1873, CQ Vote #262: Rejected 59-41: R 55-0; D 4-41, 9/9/98, Kerry Voted Nay; S 1635, CQ Vote #157: Rejected 53-46: R 52-0; D 1-46, 6/4/96, Kerry Voted Nay; S. 2549, CQ Vote #178: Motion Agreed To 52-48: R 52-3; D 0-45, 7/13/00, Kerry Voted Nay)
KERRY OPPOSED WEAPONS CRITICAL
TO RECENT MILITARY SUCCESSES
Running For Senate In 1984, Kerry Promised Massive Defense Cuts."Kerry in 1984 said he would have voted to cancel ... the B-1 bomber, B-2 stealth bomber, AH-64 Apache helicopter, Patriot missile, the F-15, F-14A and F-14D jets, the AV-8B Harrier jet, the Aegis air-defense cruiser, and the Trident missile system. He also advocated reductions in many other systems, such as the M1 Abrams tank, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the Tomahawk cruise missile, and the F-16 jet." (Brian C. Mooney, "Taking One Prize, Then A Bigger One," The Boston Globe, 6/19/03)
Weapons Kerry Sought To Phase Out Were Vital In Iraq."[K]erry supported cancellation of a host of weapons systems that have become the basis of US military might -- the high-tech munitions and delivery systems on display to the world as they leveled the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein in a matter of weeks." (Brian C. Mooney, "Taking One Prize, Then A Bigger One," The Boston Globe, 6/19/03)
ü F-16 Fighting Falcons."The Air Force would also play an important role in strikes against high-ranking officials of the Ba'ath regime. On April 4, two Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons dropped laser-guided munitions on the house of Ali Hassan al-Majid, a.k.a. 'Chemical Ali,' in Basra." (Abraham Genauer, "Technology And Volume Of Sorties Overwhelmed The Iraqis' Defenses," The Hill, 5/21/03)
ü B-1Bs B-2As F-15 And F-16s."On the night of March 21 alone, the first of 'shock and awe,' coalition air forces flew nearly 2,000 missions. ... Involved were Air Force B-1B Lancers, B-2A Spirits, ... F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons..." (Abraham Genauer, "Technology And Volume Of Sorties Overwhelmed The Iraqis' Defenses," The Hill, 5/21/03)
ü M1 Abrams."'[M1 Abrams] tanks were the sledgehammer in this war,' added Pat Garrett, an associate analyst with GlobalSecurity.org. 'The tank was the tool that allowed [the ground forces] to progress as fast as they did.'" (Patrick O'Connor, "Revolutionary Tank Tactics Alter Iraqi Conflict, Future Of Urban Warfare," The Hill, 5/21/03)
ü Patriot Missile."U.S. Central Command says the Patriots ... have improved to the point where they intercepted nine of the Iraqis' short-range al-Samoud 2 and Ababil-100 missiles in this conflict." (Andrea Stone, "Patriot Missile: Friend Or Foe To Allied Troops?" USA Today, 4/15/03)
ü AH-64 Apache Helicopter."Recently, Apaches in Afghanistan achieved success directly supporting ground troops. ... Whether in shaping the battle in a combined arms Warfighter-type fight where intelligence of the enemy is known, or by conducting close combat attacks in direct support of a ground commander, the Longbow Apache provides significantly increased flexibility and firepower for U.S. Army forces ..." (Maj. David J. Rude and Lt. Col. Daniel E. Williams, "The 'Warfighter Mindset' and the War in Iraq," Army Magazine, 7/03)
ü Tomahawk Cruise Missile."The first operational use [of Tomahawk cruise missiles] was in Operation Desert Storm, 1991, with immense success. The missile has since been used successfully in several other conflicts ... include[ing] Bosnia ... in 1995 and in Iraq again ... in 1996 ... [and in] strikes against training camps run by Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan in 1998. Cruise missiles were also fired during the air campaign over Kosovo in 1999." (Vivek Rai, "Cruise Missiles, By Air And Sea," MSNBC.com, Accessed 7/17/03)
ü Aegis Air-Defense Cruiser. "During Operation Iraqi Freedom, [the Aegis cruiser] Bunker Hill ... was one of the first warships to conduct Tomahawk strikes against leadership targets in Iraq. The ship launched a total of 31 missiles during the war. Its embarked ... helicopter detachment ... supported the rescue of United Nations workers being forcibly removed from oil platforms in the Northern Arabian Gulf and provided medical evacuations from the Iraqi city of Umm Qasr." (S.A. Thornbloom, "USS Bunker Hill Makes Revolutionary Return," NavyDispatch.com, Accessed 7/17/03)
During 1980s, Kerry And Michael Dukakis Joined Forces With Liberal Group Dedicated To Slashing Defense. Kerry sat on the board of "Jobs With Peace Campaign," which sought to "develop public support for cutting the defense budget..."("Pentagon Demonstrators Call For Home-Building, Not Bombs," The Associated Press, 6/3/88)
Running For Congress In 1972, Kerry Promised To Cut Defense Spending."On what he'll do if he's elected to Congress, Kerry said he would 'bring a different kind of message to the president.' He said he would vote against military appropriations." ("Candidate's For Congress Capture Campus In Andover," Lawrence [MA] Eagle-Tribune, 4/21/72) |
