Washington, DC – Congressman Todd Akin (R-Mo), Ranking Member of the House Armed Service’s Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee, released the following statement regarding the announcement by Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, regarding the Adminstration’s proposal for deep cuts to funding of Department of Defense weapon system programs such as C-17 and Future Combat Systems (FCS).

"While President Obama is pushing for mind-boggling increases in domestic spending, the one place he wants to cut spending is defense.�@ This makes no sense, not only because the world is not becoming safer, but because these cuts will eliminate thousands of well-paying jobs across America.�@ President Obama is championing historic levels of debt in his attempt to ‘save or create’ jobs, yet in the name of fiscal responsibility, the President is slashing programs that employ thousands across the country.�@

"There are thousands of hard working men and women across the country who would suffer from these proposed cuts.�@ The Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress have now shown that they care more about funding special interest groups than funding programs that keep our nation safe, or in maintaining our nation’s manufacturing base and keeping thousands of people employed in well-paying manufacturing and engineering jobs."