Lawmakers warn military cuts will hinder Syria strike plans

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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/03/lawmakers-warn-military-cuts-will-hinder-syria-strike-plans/



Lawmakers warn military cuts will hinder Syria strike plans
Published September 03, 2013
FoxNews.com

The Obama administration's push for airstrikes on Syria has renewed calls from Congress to restore funding to America's military, as lawmakers warn even a limited strike would be hindered by the pounding succession of budget cuts.

As a consequence of budget deals struck between Congress and the White House, the Defense budget is looking at nearly $1 trillion in reductions over the next decade. The sequester is responsible for half that; $487 billion in cuts was already in the works.

While the Pentagon and many members of Congress have fought hard against the sequester cuts, nobody has yet figured out how to undo them. As an end-of-month budget deadline looms, the prospect of strikes in Syria has sharpened focus on the issue.

"The president has left sequestration in place. We have planes being grounded, pilots not receiving training, equipment not being maintained, and yet he wants to go and spend money with the attack against Syria," said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.