"President

Clinton claimed the 1 percent reduction will

force a cut in 70,000 men and women in the armed

services," Collins said. After ten years of

continuous military spending reductions, most of

which were under the Clinton Administration,

Congress this year increased military spending by

11 percent, Collins said. "Even with a 1

percent reduction, we are looking at a 10 percent

increase. Somehow, the president claims a 10

percent budget increase will result in massive

personnel cuts. That does not add up."

After the cut, the

defense bill was $4.5 billion more than the

president's own request, Collins added. "If

we had simply passed the Clinton-Gore defense

request, defense spending would be 1.6 percent

lower than it is right now, or, in other words,

lower than it will be after the 1 percent

reduction."

"You did not

hear the president claiming his own earlier

budget request would have led to massive military

lay-offs, so when you hear his attacks, remember

that the president is playing loose with the

facts for political gain," Collins said.

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