I am the Oregon Democratic Senator and Ranking Member Ron Wyden.

I will be speaking on bill number 1-2015, the Defense Spending

Redistribution Act as part of the finance committee.
Though defense is incredibly important to a nation as large and
powerful as ours, anyone presented with the facts of excessive and
unnecessary spending can see the defense budget can be altered in
order to provide Americas veterans with the proper benefits.
Many of the veterans Ive encountered, have volunteered their services
time and time again, sacrificing years of their lives and sustaining
serious injuries. We are indebted to these heroes a hundred times over,
yet still they are forced to wait hours upon hours in hospital waiting
rooms for care, stuck in underfunded programs as a result of poor
Veterans Affairs legislation. The health care they receive must be
second to none. These veterans thought they were done being treated
like an enemy when they returned home, yet here we are, prioritizing
UNREQUESTED combat equipment while we leave our nations heroes
to rot in hospital waiting rooms.
I have, in the past, done my very best to reward veterans. In August of
2014, I voted to pass the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability
Act. This past February I helped pass the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention
for Americans Veteran Act. These actions were preceded by many
more. The Defense Spending Redistribution Act will collectively transfer
$70.4 billion from excessive military spending to Veterans, 8% of which
will go to raising military wages. I believe that by putting their lives on
the line, veterans should receive every benefit they have earned in
service to our country.
The proposed budget cuts to defense spending outlined in the bill are
cuts we can afford to make. Not only are the cuts outlined in Sections
1,4, and 5 worth the veteran benefits, Section 2 will also help our
nation in other ways. Section 2 proposes we Reclassify the 340,000
administration, communications, supply, and transportation jobs
currently held by active military personnel to civilian positions. This
would not only save us 37 billion dollars, but also provide our civilians
with more jobs.
I am fully in favor of this bill because it will not only improve the state
of our veterans lifestyle after combat, it will decrease the
unemployment rate of our nation, and it is a necessary change we can
absolutely afford to make.