Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), the ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a statement Wednesday calling on President Barack Obama to reconsider a possible military intervention in Syria in light of draconian budget cuts known as sequestration due to hit the nation’s armed forces.
“Today I told the Administration that I cannot support military action in Syria unless the President presents to Congress his broader strategy in the region that addresses our national security interests and the budget to support it,” Inhofe said. “President Obama has decimated our military beginning with his first budget four and a half years ago. He has underfunded overseas contingency operations (OCO) fund, reduced base defense budget, and put into motion sequestration. Our military has no money left.”
He added: “We must not forget this President has put us on the brink of a hollowed force. Our troops are stretched thin, the defense budget has been slashed to historic levels, and we are facing an unprecedented time of unrest across the Middle East amid growing concerns about Iran’s influence on the region and its nuclear ambitions. No red line should have been drawn without the strategy and funding to support it.”
