Cong. Lujan: Budget Cuts Should Include Pentagon

[CodeManBob]

Dear Mr. Stearns,

Thank you for contacting my office in Washington, D.C. Discussing
critical issues with my constituents is very important to me.

Our nation faces serious economic challenges requiring solutions for
creating jobs and strengthening our economy. At a time when our top
priority should be creating jobs for the American people, Republicans
have lost focus on working families. For as long as the Republicans
have been in control of the House, they have failed to bring forward
legislation that would create a significant number of jobs in this
country. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Republican
budget provides tax cuts to companies that ship jobs overseas while
cutting investments, such as education and innovation, that are
critical to a stronger economy.

The House Republican budget fails to put our country on a path to
prosperity. Budgets are about priorities and values, and the
Republican budget makes the wrong choices for hard-working families.
The Republican budget cuts taxes for millionaires and billionaires
while ending Medicare and Medicaid as we know it. It privatizes
Medicare, leaving the millions of seniors who rely on this program to
face higher health care costs.

Even while cutting funding for programs millions of Americans rely on,
Republicans have made no attempt to cut funding from the defense
budget. While I support providing the resources our men and women in
uniform need, and ensuring that funding cuts never put Americans in
harm's way, I believe our defense budget should receive the same
scrutiny the rest of our budget is undergoing. I voted in favor of
ending the alternate engine program for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
because I believe this program was a needless expense that both the
Administration and the Pentagon requested to be ended. Additionally, I
believe that ending our military involvement abroad in Iraq and
Afghanistan will allow those funds to be spent in more vital areas -
including education, innovation, and deficit reduction – as well as
provide greater for our national security.

While it is critical we tighten our belts, we should not make
devastating cuts on the backs of seniors and vulnerable New Mexicans.
We need a budget that creates jobs to put Americans back to work,
invests in education and innovation, and that ensures everyone pays
their fair share. As Congress continues to work on the FY2012 Budget,
please rest assured, I will keep your opinions and concerns in mind.

Once again, thank you for expressing your opinion on this matter.
Please feel free to contact any of my offices if I can assist you in
any way. I am very interested in your opinions and your concerns. To
find more information regarding current legislation, services I can
offer, or ways my office can be helpful to you, please visit my
website at: www.lujan.house.gov .

Sincerely,
Rep. Ben Ray Luján
United States House of Representatives
NM-03