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Posted on 02/16/2016 10:27:57 AM PST by SoConPubbie
Sen. Ted Cruz on Tuesday proposed the largest military build up of any of the Republicans vying to be president. The plan features growth in numbers of troops, airplanes and ships.
The Texas Republican talked about how he would build a military with "more tooth, less tail" if elected as the next commander in chief. The plan also far exceeds the administration's request for fiscal 2017.
Cruz would build up the active duty Army to 525,000 soldiers. The Army's troop level in 2016 was about 475,000 soldiers, but is planning to draw down in fiscal 2017 to 460,000 and an eventual goal of 450,000 soldiers by the end of fiscal 2018.
Cruz said the Army must be built up to give the U.S. military a capability that can not be duplicated by special operators.
"The president must stop his recent rush to mass produce special operations forces. The president is doing this in order to send smaller teams of warfighters to conduct critical operations so he can claim there are no conventional boots on the ground," Cruz wrote in his strategy. "Our special forces are the finest fighting units in the world, but they cannot be mass produced and they are not an answer to our lack of conventional capacity."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush both recommended an active-duty Army made up of 490,000 soldiers, which would reverse the 40,000 in cuts planned to be in full effect by the end of fiscal 2018.
Cruz would also grow the total active-duty strength of the military to 1.4 million. The administration in its fiscal 2017 budget request asked to cut the total active strength by about 19,000 troops to 1.28 million.
In addition to growing the number of personnel, Cruz would also grow the number of platforms available to the military. He said the Air Force needs 6,000 total airplanes, up from about 5,472 planned for fiscal 2017.
He would also grow the Navy to "at least" 350 ships. The Navy has 280 ships and is on track to grow to 287 ships in fiscal 2017. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has spent his entire tenure as leader of the Navy pushing the service to surpass 300 ships by 2020, a goal he said the service will meet.
Rubio would build up to 323 ships, the lower end recommended by a bipartisan panel in 2014 that said the Navy needs 323-346 ships to meet its mission.
Cruz and Rubio would both add a carrier strike group to the Navy's capability, going from 11 to 12.
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It’s 1980 again.
Are there any details about how we’re supposed to pay for this, and why we need these troops? Are we planning to invade someone, or be invaded by someone, where we’d need half a million plus active duty soldiers?
Personally I’d rather see us spend our money on helping the vets of Afghanistan and Iraq before we start beefing up our numbers again. The political class treat our vets like disposable utensils, it’s nauseating.
We borrow more money from China to pay for this?
We have enough oil here to be energy independent. Protect that. Build the wall. Kick out the Muslims. To hell with the rest of the world. We had enough of George W. invading the Iraqs and creating worse problems.
Dear “Conservatives”,
WAKE up. We are broke. The era when we can have sacred cows in the budget like endless Defense spending is over.
Promising defense contractors blank checks is pandering, not leadership.
All the military might in the words is useless if you do not have the economic might to back it up. We MUST put our fiscal house in order rather then continue to promise every special interest group their their particular rice bowl is special and untouchable
EVERYTHING must be on the table to put our house in order.
And what would Ted Cruz know about leading?
The article clearly illustrates one of the enormous differences between Cruz and Trump.
The article is rife with the numbers Cruz says he will go to.
That is the accountants approach.
Meanwhile, Trump uses the approach leaders use, conceptual.
Trump says he will build a military stronger than it has ever been. So strong that no one will attack us.
Trump will have his military experts advise him on the numbers needed to do that when the time comes. How many soldiers, how many aircraft, and what kind. Etc.
Polls are showing that people have not changed over the years, they prefer a leader to an accountant.
No mention of what Trump has proposed in this article, I see.
I’m not shilling for anyone, just noting the lack of a complete comparison.
LOL. THe national debt is only a problem if they’re spending it on something the “Conservatives” don’t like.
Here are the facts:
In 2013, Senator Cruz voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. (RC Vote #284, Passed: 84-15, 12/19/13)
In 2014, Senator Cruz voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. (RC Vote #325, Passed: 89-11, 12/12/14)
In 2015, Senator Cruz voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016. (RC Vote #277, Passed: 70-27, 10/7/15)
What does the NDAA do?
The NDAA ‘advances the vital funding and authorities that America’s military requires.’
‘The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)...is the primary way Congress meets its most important constitutional obligation to ‘provide for the common defense.’ It advances the vital funding and authorities that America’s military requires. In an era of unprecedented threats, uncertainty, and technological change, the legislation ensures America’s Armed Forces are agile, efficient, ready, and lethal.’ (NDAA For FY2016 Conference Report, Fact Sheet)
The Cruz record is clear:
Senator Cruz ‘has consistently voted against defense reauthorization bills that enable troop funding.’
‘Mr. Cruz regaled the crowd about how he had opposed a proposal to intervene in Syria and how he doesn’t support ‘nation building.’ To this he could add a few others: He has consistently voted against defense reauthorization bills that enable troop funding.’ (Kim Strassel, Wall Street Journal, 11/19/15)
Senator Cruz ‘has voted no on each of the National Defense Authorization Acts during his tenure in Congress.’
‘Cruz, a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, has voted no on each of the National Defense Authorization Acts during his tenure in Congress, citing his objection to laws that would permit the indefinite detention of an American citizen.’ (The Weekly Standard, 12/15/15)
‘Paul and Cruz were the only Republicans to oppose a compromise national defense policy bill.’
‘
“Paul and Cruz were the only Republicans to oppose a compromise national defense policy bill last month, another area in Cruz’s record that Rubio’s team believe is ripe for inspection. And senior Republicans are still annoyed at those votes.’ (Politico, 11/17/15)
The NDAAs Fund The Iron Dome Program In Israel ...
Senator Cruz has voted against the annual NDAA ‘that helps fund missile-defense programs in Israel like Iron Dome.’
‘And since entering the Senate in 2013, Cruz has voted against the annual National Defense Authorization Act, a broad, comprehensive defense budget authority bill that helps fund missile-defense programs in Israel like Iron Dome.’ (The Weekly Standard, 12/3/15)
‘But of the many programs funded by the NDAA support missile defense in Israel.’
‘But of the many programs funded by the NDAA support missile defense in Israel. Included in the FY2015 NDAA passed last year, for example, were $622 million for cooperative programs with Israel, including $351 million earmarked for Iron Dome. The next year’s NDAA, passed earlier in 2015, added an additional $320 million to the president’s request for Iron Dome and other cooperative programs with Israel. His reasons may have been unrelated to these programs, but Cruz voted against the comprehensive bills that funding.’ (The Weekly Standard, 12/3/15)
I’m with ya on the vets issue, but as for how to pay for it, see Ronald Reagan...
Clearly not as much as “be nice to me or I’ll sue you” Trump...
That’s right, “I’ll have other people tell me how to do it”, but it’ll be “great”, “magnificent”, “wonderful”, “big, really big” and completely bereft of any detail - the language of leadership. /s
And you have no idea why he voted against the NDAA repeatedly, do you. (Not a question, but a statement.)
Don’t worry, I won’t challenge you to look into it; that would be a complete waste of time.
That’s how Reagan did it.
Trump is not Reagan.
However, Trump has built a $10 billion empire using the leadership qualities I described.
It’s becoming more an more clear that voters want that same talent to be used to the benefit of America.
Mock all you want, but how big is the accountants ‘empire’?
Oh please tell us all why did he? Was that before he was against it or before he was for it so he could be against it?
Q: How do you know what Ted Cruz will say next week?
A: Listen to what Donald Trump says today.
Cruz would need a strong military so the anointed can go to war, win the war, and bring the spoils of war to the priests.
You’re clearly certifiably nuts, to use a clinical term.
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