Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) addressed his colleagues on the Senate floor Wednesday, outlining the importance of a $26 billion defense supplemental funding plan he will introduce.
Cotton spoke about the need for additional defense funds, explaining America's need to keep up its military spending with other countries.
"China has quadrupled its defense spending in the past few years, seeking control of the Pacific Rim," Cotton said.
"North Korea is growing a nuclear arsenal, developing the capability to hit any American city with those nuclear bombs," he added, and "Iran continues to violate the terms of its nuclear agreement and is the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism."
Cotton then explained that the lack of funding has come at a grave cost to American lives.
"In Afghanistan we have lost 16 service members in 2016. They continue the fight daily," he said.
Cotton then rhetorically asked how the country has repaid the service of the American troops serving their country.
"We have cut their budget by over a trillion dollars. We have told them to do more with less. We have ignored needs," Cotton said.
He then explained the devastating toll that President Obama's defense spending cut has taken on American troops. Twelve Marines recently died in a helicopter crash due to "low readiness and sub-par flying hours," he noted.
"We are wrong to ask our military to work and risk their lives under these conditions and we cannot wait until the next fiscal year to fix this crisis," Cotton said.
Cotton, fed up with the lack of support for American troops, said he "will soon introduce a $26 billion spending request."
Cotton explained the funds will give war fighters "critical relief in these trying times."
"They will help keep our men and women safe as we ask them to do an increasingly dangerous job," he said.