|
Cruz, speaking at
a decommissioned aircraft carrier in Mount Pleasant, South
Carolina, said that if he won the White House he would establish
a total active-duty force of 1.4 million people, prioritize
constructing new ballistic missile submarines and invest in
anti-missile systems.
"If you think it's too expensive to defend this nation, try not
defending it," the U.S. senator from Texas said in a speech
unveiling his proposal.
Republicans seeking the party nomination for the Nov. 8
presidential election are emphasizing defense issues in South
Carolina. The state, home to a number of military bases and
retired veterans, holds its Republican primary on Saturday.
Cruz has taken heat from rivals for voting for bills limiting
defense spending and for pushing to revamp domestic surveillance
programs. He has also argued for scaled-back military
involvement overseas, saying the United States should protect
its interests but not engage in "nation-building."
Cruz's Republican opponents have touted their own plans to boost
the size of the U.S. military. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of
Florida has called for the Army to be staffed at 490,000 people,
compared to Cruz's proposal Tuesday of 525,000 soldiers.
(Reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Frances Kerry)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
|
