Fourth of July/Armed Services

As we approach the Fourth of July, we're reminded of our nation's founders who put their lives on the line 237 years ago so we can enjoy the God-given inalienable rights of all free people.

Today, our men and women in uniform and their families continue to make tremendous sacrifices to protect the freedoms that make America great -- and Missouri serves a vital role in the defense of our country. Our state is home to hundreds of thousands of active duty servicemen and women, civilian defense employees, and private sector contractors, as well as several important military installations, including Fort Leonard Wood, Whiteman Air Force Base, Rosecrans Air National Guard Base, and Missouri National Guard's Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot.

In the Senate, I'm honored to be one of three members to serve on both the defense authorizing and appropriations committees. Our military faces enormous challenges today, and while I believe we must take real action to rein in Washington's out-of-control spending and reduce our record federal debt, we must not compromise our combat readiness.

Since President Obama announced major reductions to the military budget in early 2012, I've heard time and again from military leaders in Missouri and nationwide that we must find a way to mitigate the impact of potentially devastating across-the-board cuts. The world is an increasingly dangerous place, and I will continue working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to protect our military readiness and ensure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to defend our country.

This Fourth of July and every day, we pay tribute to the brave men and women in Missouri and all over the world who have served and sacrificed to preserve our freedoms. It's because of their courage that we live in the freest nation in the world -- a nation that remains an example to all who seek the liberties and opportunities that we enjoy every day.