GUTTING READINESS IS WHAT'S OBJECTIONABLE

WASHINGTON- Traveling in Europe, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter today criticized House Armed Services Committee efforts to restore military readiness by using contingency funding to restore training, maintenance, and weapons replacement accounts cut by the President.  According to Breaking Defense Secretary Carter said of the HASC plan, “In addition, the proposal is take the money out of the wartime funding account during wartime… That is objectionable on the face of it.”  Carter made the comments despite the fact that the President’s own Budget Request allocated $5 billion from wartime accounts to fulfill non-wartime requirements.  Responding to Carter’s comments, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said:
 
“What’s objectionable is deploying troops who aren’t fully trained, whose equipment is worn out, and who didn’t get the resources they needed back home to be ready to face our enemies overseas.  What’s objectionable is cutting the military well below levels anyone thinks is wise, denying our troops their pay raise for three years in a row, forcing them to live in crumbling barracks or work in hangars that have literally been condemned.  I am determined to turn our readiness crisis around, even if I have to do it over the Secretary’s objections."