Dr. Chris shares his views on defense spending. Please see below for the transcript.
Hello. I am Dr. Chris Magiera from Warsaw, Indiana, and I am running for the United States House of Representatives from the 3rd Congressional District of Indiana.
In order to constitutionally legislate, members of Congress must be aware of the history of our Union and our Constitution. Sadly, today, not many are so inclined.
Today I would like to briefly touch on the ideas of the Founders, Framers, and Ratifiers on the subject of military spending. On 12/11/19, the House concurred in the conference report with the Senate on S 1790, National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 2020. My opponent voted in favor of the report. Topping out at about 735 billion dollars, a bill like this is bound to attract controversy. U.S. military expenditures are roughly the size of the next seven largest military budgets around the world, combined. Whether or not this is all appropriate for defense, or is constitutional, is not the point to be made here. The Founders had much aversion to, and respect for, war, and, had a distrust of standing armies. So, in case you thought that concern for these issues is only a product of modern history, think again.
Allow me to present four short quotes from the Founders: Patrick Henry, 1788: “When the American spirit was in its youth, the language of America was different; liberty, sir, was then the primary object.”
John Dickinson, 1767: “If money be raised upon us by others, without our consent, for our “defense,” those who are the judges in levying it must also be the judges in applying it. Of consequence the money said to be taken from us for our defense, may be employed to our injury.”
James Madison, 1795: “Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few…No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.”
And, lastly, again, James Madison, 1798: “Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions against danger real or pretended from abroad.” Prophetic indeed.
If elected to represent the 3rd District of Indiana in the House of Representatives, I pledge to be guided by the teachings of the Founders, and to scrupulously apply the Constitution to all legislative acts, especially those dealing with war and armies. So, I urge you to vote to secure your God-given Natural Rights and Liberties. In 2020, vote for The Constitution Solution. Vote for Dr. Chris Magiera for Congress. Thank you.