As your commanderinchief, i know you will. May god bless you. May god bless our men and women in uniform, and may god bless the United States of america. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2013] on wednesday, the president will be in brussels. Expected to meet with the ukrainian president elect. Wednesday evening, president obama will attend the g7 summit. Meetings inre g7 brussels. Inends his trip friday normandy, where he will attend sir moneys along with european leaders and russian president Vladimir Putin to mark the 70th anniversary of the dday invasion of world war ii. Along with National Security concerns, and the u. S. Policy in , the representative spoke for about 30 minutes. [applause] thanks. I appreciate the invitation to be with you all today. Benefitednly have from the heritage foundations insights on National Security since i was a young hill staff are working on defense issues in the early 1980s. Those were exciting and contentious times. I think we suffer from a bit of amnesia. Believe that reagans defense buildup and his fight against communism alongside Margaret Thatcher and john paul ii were some sort of inevitable triumph of consensus policies. Were resistedies every step of the way. And, just as steps that we need to take today are and will be resisted. I also think the effort of heritage to look back a century at world war i is good and needed harley to prevent the sort of amnesia that i just mentioned, and partly because there seems to be an inevitable tendency to abuse history for current political ends, even recent history. R in one of two ways. Either we try to shoehorn the current problem into some sort , and thereby make the outcome inevitable, or we tend to forget the lessons of history warningeby fulfill the i repeating the mistakes of the past. No result is inevitable. We are wise, we can learn the lessons of history and take the principles of history and apply them to the circumstances of today. My bottomhortcut to line, it is that peace through strength is one of those principles that we can and refreshed, and apply over and over again. Ask whether this slogan really has any application in todays world. There are some who seem to believe the National Security challenges we face today are far too complicated for this simplistic approach of some bygone era, the what we need is someone who is not tied to the past, who is nimble and smart enough to find just the right balanced approach for every single problem that we face. Today at west point, the president has said to begin an effort to explain his policy to us. Reports, we press the American People just do not understand how the president s the problem is us. If we let him educate us, we will have a greater appreciation of his more sophisticated to these sortsh of issues. The u. S. Does face a wide complex array of threats. Mr. Putin has reminded us that europe is not the Peaceful Place that many people had assumed. Administrations best efforts to persuade us otherwise, the terrorists have not all gone away. Terroristys, the threat we face today is more diverse and difficult than ever before. Story in the New York Times said the director of the fbi said before he was sworn in, he understood the terrorist threat. He said, there are many more than i appreciated, and they are stronger than i appreciated. Boko haram is the latest to remind us of that. The dangers posed by outlaw states is greater now than they have been in some time. Afghanistan we will talk about more in a minute, but we have to keep the site of the point that whatever policy we have has. Epercussions in the reemergence of al qaeda poses higherq risk, as europeans and others travel there and back again. New domains of warfare in sybron outerspace continue to develop, and we struggle to keep up. I traveled to asia as majority heard theter, as we same talking points from one highranking chinese official after another, i must confess that my heart sank. They clearly see china as a rising power. They see the United States as a declining power. Have historical grievances that they think this is the time to correct. Aggressive andy confident, and all of that made me think of germany before world war i. See conflict with china as inevitable. There are probably as many differences as similarities with kaisers germany. It depends on the decisions we make, and how they view those decisions. Was made clear from the trip is that friends and allies and other countries who are not necessarily friends and allies are watching very closely whether the United States keeps its commitments and means what it says. Today there is reason to doubt not only in asia but in europe and the middle east and africa, south asia as well. Maybe it is no surprise, but it is still a little bit unsettling to see people like richard haas, president of the council on Foreign Relations write, quote, American Foreign policy is in troubling disarray. We are witnessing an excel rated movement for a postamerican erated movement for a postamerican world. Even like walesa, saying, the superpower is not taking the lead. To say he intends to argue to president obama if he does not lead, find a country that will. These are not your typical obama bashers. The spectrum, theres concern that under barack obama, america is in withdrawal mode. Theres a fear that the president thinks and acts like he can make things happen in the world just by giving a speech, that he can protect america with his rhetoric. Im a big fan of churchill and reagan. I have a lot of appreciation for effective communication. The communication has to be backed up by something, and backed up by someone whos willing to make the tough choices and defend them. We say is important. While we do is more important. Speakesident is taken softly and carry a big stick and turned it on its head. More people are coming to than nothat more often for this administration, shortterm political tactics and take precedence over protecting longerterm strategic interests. , someone whos admits he has sympathies with obamas Foreign Policy goals, rights, the benghazi emails show the Administration Spent more time thinking about what to say than what to do. Under obama, the United States has suffered some reputational damage. This damage has been selfinflicted by an administration that focuses too much on shortterm messaging. Consistent with this shortterm political focus is the unprecedented micromanagement of all aspects of National Security by the white house staff. And secretary gates book other accounts, its clear how frustrated people in the apartments have been in trying to carry out their responsibilities. I have heard from their firsthand about how difficult this is. The biggest scandal of the rent Reagan Reagan administration was the Security Council staff. The president is going to educate us about how these critics were wrong, and how enlightened his policies truly are. What are the fruits of the obama approach . Emboldened,re friends or on shore, neutrals are making new calculations are making neutrals new calculations, and freedom is in retreat, declining for the eighth consecutive year. This morning the washington writesditorial board that the afghan decision would have been understandable had obamas previous choices proved out. The results have been consistently bad, end quote. The president loves to set up strawman arguments. His opponents are either isolationist or interventionist. He knocks him down and comes right down the middle with the only reasonable policy approach. That is an approach to argument that we can expect from a law professor. But that is not leadership. This world does not operate in a split the difference sort of mode. The world wants to know, as the economist magazine says, what does america stand for . Yesterday the president announced we would keep 9800 troops in afghanistan after december, cutting that number in half next year and pulling them all out by the end of 2016. I cant be the only one who suspects that we got to 9800 because it sounds better than 10,000. I suspect im not the only one who suspects this is another example of the president calculating what the minimum necessary to get by is, but his heart really isnt in it. If you are a friend or alley of the United States, does this decision give you more confidence in your friendship with us . 9800, do one of those you think the president really supports your mission . We started out talking about learning the lessons of history this morning. Mornington post this said, 9 11 happened and we vowed we would never leave again. Even a president with rhetorical gifts cannot finesse his way out of military weakness or loss of credibility in the world. Influence in the world comes from having the capability , plus the will to use it. E acquire military capability vote was 32598. The president promptly threatens to veto the bill. Rejected aause we lot of the proposals he had made. Years in a row, the administration has sent Congress Budget skyhigh the full effect of their defense cuts by including a number of proposals they know neither the house nor the senate will agree to. Defense spending this year is 17 of the federal budget, the lowest it has been since world war ii. Those congress bear some of the responsibility does congress bear some of the responsibility . Absolutely. Although, mr. Putin has helped enlighten some of our republican colleagues about the reasons that we always put National Security first. What we see over and over again is that there is never any for president ial leadership on matters of National Security. When it is lacking, American Security suffers. Where are we headed with the budget . If we dont find a way to replace the budget caps with something more reasonable, we are headed towards the Smallest Army since world war ii, the Smallest Navy since 1931, and the Smallest Air Force weve ever had worried had. We have already arrived at a place where we have a Nuclear Weapons complex that is falling apart, just as the challenges in dealing with those aging complex machines is mounting. We have not kept the funding commitments that were made in exchange for the Senate Ratification of the new start treaty. Already arrived at a place where our National SecuritySpace Program is dependent on russian made engines. What is the rest of the world doing . According to the economist, china is up 170 and russia is is up 45 in India Military spending. The u. S. Is up 12 . Some of our best friends went ddown. Its also about how that money is spent. We clearly have a lot of work to do to see that our defense dollars are spent more wisely, that we get more defense out of the money we spend, and we have a bipartisan effort to work with the pentagon and with industry to help reduce overhead, and improve our acquisition policies. On the bigger budget picture, the administration resorts to political lames manship congressship, accusing of only being interested in parochial interests. The reason so many members of congress in both parties have real doubts and concerns about where this administration is taking our countrys security . I dont think so. I disagree with a lot of the president s proposals. Im not sure theyre well thought out. Last year they propose that we airplane and retired the global hawk. You flip flop completely within one year, it does not give you a lot of confidence that these proposals have been thought out. Inyou talk to the commanders korea, they want to keep them both with a volatile young leader who is now in charge in the north. Not willingason im to accept many of the administrations proposals is im not willing to accept that we have to have a smaller military or a smaller role in the world. Most republicans and Many Democrats are not willing to throw up our hands and rich treat and resign ourselves to a retreat andy resign ourselves to a smaller military role. As the United States retreats, others will fill that void. States is exceptional, and it is exceptional in a way that no other country in the world is. President also accuses republicans of wanting to use military force in every situation. I dont. I think that is another of the president s strawman arguments. I do believe in smart power. I served on the Smart Power Commission that issued its report in 2007. We talked about having the full range of tools of National Power and influence, so you can use the right tool for the right situation. Some of those tools need to be big hammers. Every one of the tools are more effective if they are backed up by credible military power. But thats the rub. We have to have the military power. And it has to be credible. And we have to be credible about its use. David ignatius wrote that the intangible factors of strength and credibility are the glue of a rulesbased international system. Is what is fraying, our strength and credibility. Thats the reason for the disarray. Wasing through it all former Prime Minister tony blair, whose advice to us is, dont worry so much about being loved. It just be strong. What the world needs now is for you to be strong. No one could say better than president reagan and, memorial day that you any six. Quote, 1986. Quote, we owe them something, these boys. Adversaries in the world and challenges, and the only way to maintain the peace is by staying strong. That is the lesson of this century. A Lesson Learned in poland and hungary in such as slovakia chechen slovakia if we really care about peace, we must say strong. We must through our strong arength demonstrate willingness to accept the ending of the peace. We must be Strong Enough to create peace where it does not exist and Strong Enough to protect it where it does. End quote. The theme this month at heritage is protect america. The only way for us to have peace, the only way for the world to have peace, is for america to be strong, and for america to be credible. Peace through strength applies as much now as it ever has. Thank you. [applause] about 10 minutes or so for questions. If the military budget needs to be increased, how do we go about winning 25 of the Republican Congress that seems to be almost as isolationist as this president . I dont think thats true. Mr. Putin and others are helping remind everyone that the and the dangerous, first job of the federal government is to defend the country. The actual number of isolationists in the Republican Party is very small. I have seen a change even in the last year or two towards a greater willingness to look at defense spending. Its important that we continue to make the kinds of Reform Efforts i mentioned, to get more out of the money we spend. One way we help shore up support is to maken spending the reforms necessary so that each dollar is spent as wisely as possible, and fewer dollars are spent on overhead and unnecessary things. Megan with defense daily. Your you elaborate on trips to china, and what issues you would like to address through legislation . A lot of issues came up. Not only countries like china, friends like japan and korea are watching very closely right now to see whether the United States is a reliable ally or not. Part of what they watch is not what we say, but what we do. And got aboardn, which George Washington the administration had no money in its budget to refuel the washington, meaning a ship that is poster last 50 years would only last 25 supposed to last 50 years would only last 25. The point is, its not just what we say, its what we do. Do we refuel the washington . Do we have the sort of presence that can reassure not only traditional allies, but other countries like vietnam who are wondering, who will be there to counterbalance this chinese aggressiveness . That was the dominant theme of the trip. It has repercussions for our Defense Budget and other issues. The big question is, can the United States be counted on . Im a senior at episcopal high school. Regarding ukraine, there seem to be two reasons to intervene. One would be that we have the mantle of being the world police, and two, it affects us in some way. If we put the world police aspect aside, how does intervening or not intervening in ukraine affect the United States directly . When you say intervene, there are lots of ways to play a role in the world short of sending troops and trying to do something with military force. Two repercussions from ukraine. Reminds us all the rush is not necessarily a content withwer, this current status in the world. It is an expansionist power, looking to reform International Rule sets towards its benefit. People in asia and elsewhere are looking to see what we, what nato does. Nato. S a real test for what is the purpose of this alliance . Does it have meaning today, or does it not . Having sanctions on a handful of causes mr. Which putin and others to kind of laugh it off has not been a very effective response. It does not mean that ineffective sanctions or complete military invasion are the only options here.