The president has some ideas that are peculiar to say the least about the best way to spend American money. Some time after his administration proposed a budget that slashed key American programs left and right, it came out that — as had been previously reported at one point — the president was interested in the idea of a military parade to the point of directing the Department of Defense to come up with the specs for one.
Now, in the furor that has resulted from that revelation, Democratic members of Congress have an idea. Democratic House members introduced on Thursday the PARADE Act, otherwise known as the Preventing the Allocation of Resources for Absurd Defense Expenditures Act.
Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey introduced the PARADE Act today: Preventing Allocation of Resources for Absurd Defense Expenditures. pic.twitter.com/5ZjqdIavb1
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 8, 2018
Rep. Marc Veasey, one of those behind the legislation, summed up his take on the matter by saying:
‘As a strong supporter of our military and their families, I know we are all beyond thankful for the sacrifices our military make on behalf of our country every day. An expensive political ploy whose sole aim is to boost Trump’s approval ratings is an insult to their service and detracts from resources needed to provide meaningful assistance to veterans and current service members.’
Trump has paid lip service to the idea of sticking up for the U.S. Armed Forces in the past, but his comments to that effect have been overshadowed for many by his draft dodging during the Vietnam War.
Also fresh in many people’s minds when it comes to Trump and the military are incidents including Trump criticizing John McCain’s war service and getting into a public, nationally visible spat with a Gold Star family. Both of those incidents took place before the election.
Since the election and subsequent inauguration, Trump has attracted controversy for acting callously on the infamously delayed phone call to the widow of a U.S. soldier killed overseas in a botched operation.
That incident set off a ridiculous back and forth between the administration and a Florida Congresswoman on this particular Gold Star family’s side, with the White House chief of staff resorting to lobbing exaggerated personal attacks from the White House press podium.
These incidents coupled with the other examples of the president’s relentless egotism that have marked his time in office serve to no doubt make it clear for many that a military parade, if it’s ever held under Trump, would not just be about honoring the military, as Rep. Veasey stated.
Another U.S. Rep. behind the legislation, Steve Cohen from Tennessee, commented:
‘We use our military force as an instrument for advancing our ideals, not to intimidate as showy tyrants and autocrats do.’
It hasn’t just been Democrats who have expressed opposition to the idea of a military parade.
Even the Navy SEAL who claims to have been the one to have killed Osama Bin Laden has spoken out against the idea, calling it “third world bullshit.”
South Carolina GOP Senator Lindsay Graham, who has long tread an awkward line between opposition to and support of the president, called the idea of the parade “cheesy” and a “sign of weakness.”
Trump reportedly got the idea for the parade after attending Bastille Day celebrations in France last year.
Featured Image via Mike Theiler/Pool via Bloomberg
