WASHINGTON – If the United States is going to enter into another war, Congress should find a way to pay for it without incurring more debt.
That’s the message of an amendment introduced Wednesday by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) to the draft authorization of the use of military force (AUMF) that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will mark up on Thursday morning. The amendment says that, “any funds made available for activities authorized by this joint resolution should be fully offset through reduced spending, increased revenue, or both.”
Speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing about the AUMF on Monday, Senator Coons warned: “We cannot write another blank check for war, as was unfortunately the case under previous presidents and previous congresses for previous conflicts. Paying for war is not only fiscally, but also morally, responsible. It’s not right to expect that the only people to sacrifice to be our troops and their families. Expressly having a conversation about how to offset the cost of this war — through a reduction in spending or an increase in revenue, or both — will help Americans have a more direct connection to the conflict, and an awareness of its impact, not just in terms of our spending, but our steadily growing national debt. It is the duty of the Congress, as we debate the scope and strategy for this conflict, to also look squarely at its cost and how to pay for it.”
The amendment is available as a PDF here: http://coons.senate.gov/download/pay-for-amendment-to-aumf