Republican Views On The Military

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The Republican Party believes that the key to maintaining a safe and successful nation is maintaining a strong, traditional military. They believe that the country should have a strong and comprehensive defense system. Republican views on military are centered around the belief that strengthening the military will build a safer world and a stronger defense system for this country, with the Party stating that “a strong and well-trained American military is the world’s best guarantee of peace.” They adamantly believe that the only way to achieve this goal and gain greater security is to increase the defense budget.

Republicans and a Traditional Military

The Republican Party believes that a strong military is the key to a strong national defense system, stating, “U.S. forces must be agile, lethal, readily deployable, and require a minimum of logistical support. They must also be fully prepared for possible enemy use of weapons of mass destruction.” The Party believes that this can be done, but in order to achieve this goal “ the US must align its military power with the strengths of American society: our skilled people, our advanced technology, and our proficiency at integrating fast-paced systems into potent networks. We will not forget that the strength of our military lies with the combat soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine.”

Republicans believe that the strongest military will be one that maintains traditional values. To this end, Republicans support removing homosexuals from the armed forces, due to the belief that “homosexuality is incompatible with military service.” For the same reasons, they support the advancement of women in the military, buy also support “their exemption from ground combat units, and call for the end of co-ed training.”
Republicans and the Defense Budget

The Republican Party believes strongly in an increased defense budget. In 2000 the party spoke out in defense of raising this budget, stating that the administration had cut defense spending to its lowest percentage of gross domestic product since 1939. Republicans believe that raising this budget is the only way to “restore the health of a defense industry weakened by a combination of neglect and misguided policies.” They also believe that this lowered budget has a good deal to do with lower morale among members of the armed forces. In its call to action for a higher budget for defense, Republicans noted that “the US military faces growing problems in readiness, morale, and its ability to prepare for the threats of the future,” and that these problems arose as the military budgets were cut.

Republicans and a Missile Defense System

Republicans strongly support the building and maintaining of a national missile defense system, stating, “America must deploy effective missile defenses, based on an evaluation of the best available options, including sea-based, at the earliest possible date.” They wish to see this system designed to protect not only all 50 states, but also “America’s deployed forces overseas, and our friends and allies in the fellowship of freedom against missile attacks by outlaw states or accidental launches.”

Republicans on Biodefense

Republicans believe in developing biodefense systems as a means to combat bioterrorism. They also wish to see an increase in a bioterrorism defense budget for this same purpose. They support former President Bush’s Project BioShield, believing it “provides new tools to improve medical countermeasures protecting Americans against a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack; putting in place major new biodefense capabilities; creating the Container Security Initiative to screen cargo for the US; and deploying missile defenses to defend the US and its friends and allies.” Republicans view each of these defense capabilities as vital to the protection of this country.

Republicans and Nuclear Weapons

The Republican Party believes that maintaining some number of nuclear weapons is necessary, but they hope to keep this number as low as possible. They believe this should be done at an executive level, stating that a president should “reevaluate America’s nuclear force posture and pursue the lowest possible number consistent with our national security. We can safely eliminate thousands more of these horrific weapons. We should do so.” Republicans also hope to see the United States reduce the risk of accidental launch, by working together with other nuclear nations to remove as many weapons as possible from high-alert, hair-trigger status.

Republicans and the Defense Budget

The Republican Party believes strongly in an increased defense budget. In 2000 the party spoke out in defense of raising this budget, stating that the administration had cut defense spending to its lowest percentage of gross domestic product since 1939. Republicans believe that raising this budget is the only way to “restore the health of a defense industry weakened by a combination of neglect and misguided policies.” They also believe that this lowered budget has a good deal to do with lower morale among members of the armed forces. In its call to action for a higher budget for defense, Republicans noted that “the US military faces growing problems in readiness, morale, and its ability to prepare for the threats of the future,” and that these problems arose as the military budgets were cut.

Republicans and Military Voting

The staunch support of military spending on the part of the Republican Party has left them in control of the military voting block through the years. A survey in 2012 showed the Republican Party polling at 58 percent among soldiers and veterans, a whole 12 percent higher than their polls nationwide. With the rest of the public so divided on the issue, this is yet another reason that military spending can have a large impact in the coming year.

Democrats Vs. Republicans on Military

The Obama administration has proposed a sequestration, which is defined as “severe, automatic, across-the-board cuts in defense spending” over the next decade. The Republican Party adamantly opposes these cuts, stating, “would be a disaster for national security, imperiling the safety of our servicemen and women, accelerating the decline of our nation’s defense industrial base, and resulting in the layoff of more than 1 million skilled workers.” This sequestration would leave America with the smallest ground force it has seen since 1940, the smallest number of ships it has seen since 1915, and the smallest Air Force in history. Due to the growing treats worldwide to national security, Republicans believe that these cuts would be incredibly poorly timed and dangerous

Furthermore, this isn’t an action that everyone believes can be easily reversed. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor states that, even with a Republican majority in Congress, they would need bipartisan support to revoke the sequestration. “I don’t see a path where you’re going to get bipartisan relief on BCA caps,” Cantor said, referring to the spending caps enacted in 2011. “There needs to be bipartisan agreement even though there’s a Republican majority in Congress.” Meanwhile, John McCain believes that it needs to be reversed, and that therefore the Party will find a way. “We have to fix it, I promise you that we will make it [fixing sequestration] our highest priority,” McCain said in a forum in late 2014.

Chris Christie on National Defense

Chris Christie believes strongly in strengthening the military, not just as a means to a stronger system of national defense, but also to preserve America for future generations. In his 2012 Republican National Convention speech, Christie said “I don’t want my children and grandchildren to have to read in a history book what it was like to live in an American Century. I don’t want their only inheritance to be an enormous government that has overtaxed, overspent and over-borrowed a great people into second-class citizenship. I want them to live in a second American Century. A second American Century of strong economic growth where those who are willing to work hard will have good paying jobs to support their families and reach their dreams…A second American Century where our military is strong, our values are sure, our work ethic is unmatched and our Constitution remains a model for anyone in the world struggling for liberty. This is the American way.” Christie also believes that America needs to stand firm on its decisions in terms of allies and enemies. He believes that a good deal of unrest in the Middle East is due to President Obama’s policies, stating “He draws red lines then doesn’t enforce them; he doesn’t stand up for our friends in a vocal and forceful way.” Christie believes that Americans need to be more definitive, saying that “we cannot have a world where our friends are unsure of whether we’ll be with them, and our enemies are unsure of whether we’ll be against them.”

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