U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the new military strategy President Obama unveiled today:

“Setting a clear strategy is key to guiding investment decisions and sustaining our national defense.  The Department of Defense has a varied track record in drafting strategies that truly guide its budget process and program decisions.  I look forward to thoroughly reviewing this strategy and President Obama’s budget, ensuring we appropriately structure the future force to best meet our national security needs.  

“The Defense Department can and should find savings as we seek to rein in government spending. Yet our national security will be best achieved by adequately funding an increasingly efficient Defense Department while at the same time addressing the major contributors to our national debt and the impact it has on our economic strength.

“I’ll continue to work to ensure the sequestration goes forward, but in a way that doesn’t gut our military, because, as it currently stands, and as Secretary Panetta has stated, the scheduled sequestration needlessly threatens our national security.”