President Donald Trump has issued his plan to cut budget from other U.S. agencies to increase military spending by a $54 billion. Some of the budget will also be taken from State Department, which will also pose a dilemma for Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Former U.S. Marine Corps General Mattis once said in 2013 regarding the importance of international diplomacy for U.S. security. The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition reminded him of his remark to oppose international budget cut as, Washington Post reported.
The group that consist of American businesses, retired generals, foreign policy experts and community leaders sent letter to the Congress on Monday, Feb. 27. The letter was addressed to the bipartisan leaders in Senate and House of Representatives. They are the House Speaker Paul Ryan from Wisconsin and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky of the Republicans, and for Democrats are House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer from New York
“The State Department, USAID, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are critical to preventing conflict,” the letter said. The coalition also reminded the remark from General Mattis when he was leading the U.S. Central Command. The retired U.S. Marine Corps General in his active duty had said that if the State Department was not fully funded, then the military needed to buy more ammunition.
Recently, Secretary Mattis has also warned U.S. allies in Europe to increase their military spending as reported by NBC News. He reaffirmed the commitment from the United States for the security of its European allies, but he also delivered a strict warning for the NATO members to increase their military spending.
Secretary Mattis in the meeting with members of NATO two weeks ago said that NATO should equally responsible to ensure their own protection. Watch the report from euronews regarding Mattis remark, in the press conference with the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg below:
