EL PASO, Texas -- Congressman Silvestre Reyes expressed concerns about possible cuts at Fort Bliss based on the Defense Department’s new budget proposal.

"We continue to see a tremendous growth at Fort Bliss, it’s an integral part of the national security of this country, and I just want to make sure we're protected,” Reyes said.

The budget proposal includes cuts to a number of programs planned that were planned grow Fort Bliss, including a program called Grow The Force and a technology program called Future Combat Systems.

However, it is unclear how many soldiers may now not come to Fort Bliss.

“We need to get answers to some of the questions to up to now we haven't been able to get answers to," Reyes said.

With the new budget, the Defense Department along with the Obama administration move from large combat operations to counter terrorism operations, a bigger threat according to many than a full scale foreign war.

"There is no question a lot of these decisions will be controversial my hope is that as we've done in this room, is that the members of congress will rise above parochial interests,” said Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense.

But Reyes says he is not prepared to sign the budget until he can figure out how it will affect Fort Bliss and El Paso.

"There are way more questions than answers at this point, I spoke to the secretary of the Army yesterday, Secretary Gates last Friday, but frankly I'm still confused on some of the provisions in there," Reyes said.