Press. voanews.com
More than 120 retired U.S. military generals and
admirals are urging Congress not to cut spending on diplomacy and foreign aid,
two government functions that may be targeted in President Donald Trump's first
budget proposal. When he unveils his budget proposal Tuesday before Congress,
Trump is expected to call for a $54 billion boost in military spending while
offsetting the increase by slashing domestic spending, particularly at the
State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In a letter Monday to Republican and Democratic
congressional leaders, the retired officers wrote that "elevating and
strengthening diplomacy and development alongside defense are critical to
keeping America safe." The former military leaders wrote that experience
has taught them that many of the nation's crises cannot be solved by military
action alone.
"The State Department, USAID, Millennium
Challenge Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are critical
to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put our men and women in
uniform in harm's way."
Some of the most prominent retired U.S. military
leaders signed the letter, including General David Petraeus, commander of
troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and Navy Admiral James Stavridis, the former
supreme allied commander of NATO.
The annual U.S. military budget is about $600 billion.
In comparison, the United States spends about $54 billion annually on
international initiatives. Congress is not required to accept Trump's budget
proposal and is expected to have hearings on Capitol Hill to explain it.
The letter was coordinated and published Monday online
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