Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith released the following statement in response to Defense Secretary Hagel’s budget preview:

“ The budget preview reflects the difficult budget environment forced on the Department of Defense by Congress. In a challenging and dangerous world, the Department of Defense is tasked with providing for national security, but Congress continues to fail to provide our military leaders with financial security and stability.

“Sequestration imposed mindless cuts that hurt military readiness in fiscal year 2013. The Bipartisan Budget Act removed sequestration for two years, but it capped the Department’s budget at a level that is $31 billion below the President’s request for fiscal year 2014. If Congress does not act, sequestration will go back into effect in fiscal year 2016 and beyond. Secretary Hagel clearly articulated that future uncertainty is making it difficult for the Department to plan.

“Under these conditions, our military leaders are doing their best to put forward a budget that provides national security. The preview outlines some tough choices, and I look forward to reviewing the budget in its entirety.”