Lamar Alexander on National Defense

Stop the freefall in defense spending. President Bush would have cut defense 25-30 percent over 5 years. President Clinton's budget proposals are $25-50 billion below that. Defense spending in 1994 is 4.2 percent of the GDP, 18.9 percent of the federal budget, the lowest levels since 1940. We now spend more each year on interest on the national debt than on our nation's defense.
Military Intervention: When the Commander-in-Chief order U.S. troops into combat he should follow four principles: (1) Don't go in unless there is a clear national interest; (2) Don't go in unless you have more to back up your forces than you need; (3) Don't go in unless you and the American people have the stomach to see the mission all the way through; and (4) Know what the end will be.