Three key leaders of the House of Representatives -- Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Livingston, National Security Committee Chairman Floyd Spence and Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Bill Young -- wrote the President the attached letter last Thursday.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

Lewis said members of his committee are "dead serious" about national defense and have had significant input into the budget process in the past.

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In conclusion, I strongly recommend that this Committee resist the temptation to subordinate the necessary investment in national defense to the all-too seductive and prevalent belief that U.S. military capability is no longer needed.

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This will surely result in cuts to essential safety-net programs and could undermine our national defense, but the hard cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are left to a congressional committee, which will need magical powers to overcome the intractable political constraints that have made these programs almost untouchable.

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