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Congress tackles defense cuts

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    Rep. Randy Forbes on the ‘Defending our Defenders’ tour

  • Duration 8:05
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Welcome back everybody we are here with representative Randy Forbes of the beautiful state of Virginia.

Good to have you here he's going to be would you do you represent what area for represent the southeastern portion of Virginia my -- -- Chesapeake and I -- represent all the way up to its southern part of Richmond and around the Richmond -- so you can even after the Great Falls -- area beautifully yeah yeah what's lately high school graduated at.

Thanked me -- well it's a wonderful wonderful line area and is a wonderful area so we're here we're here talking about.

Money money money money the federal deficit obviously on the front burner it's -- it's is an is it never on and not on the front burner.

But of course this week went up the Senate's top guy Harry Reid of course blasted the GOP bill.

That would essentially overturn the automatic.

Defense cuts in other cuts slated for January 3 that would go into effect what do you think of what Harry Reid had to say it's.

Well first of all what we have to do step back and see we're actually gonna happen and what's gonna happen this is in just about six months.

We -- gonna see ever trillion dollars of cuts to national defense Begin in this country and other -- no just national defense.

And and the part of that if you listen to the air force -- I worked with the air force has said it will put them one there words ragged -- If you listen what the navy says it will reduce the number of ships in our navy down to the lowest number in -- hundred years.

We have -- we'll have less ships than the Chinese have if you listen to what the army marine course they will have to pink -- 150 to 200000 people which is like getting -- the entire Marine Corps one fell -- If you listen -- secretary defense sent it will cost us one point five million jobs across the country but worst -- Andrew is is the fact that.

For the first time we won't necessarily be able to -- the least dangerously close to not being able to guarantee the security of the United States of America and and -- think the American people wants to be there.

You have Republicans and critics of of the administration -- administration saying how could this possibly be how could we possibly even consider letting this happen.

And then you go back to well there -- there hasn't been an attack on the United States.

You know.

And in the continental United States we caught Osama have been a lot of the name of the mentality of America is.

Or a lot safer -- we are before and that's just simply not the case and al-Qaeda hasn't you know we heard aren't -- they're still out there.

They are they've sort of shape shifted if you if you will.

But they're still out there and defense is something that Americans are starting to be concerned about again we hear about this under a second underwear bombs.

And that's all just the tip of the iceberg what we're looking at do we really want -- world.

Where we have fewer ships than we have had for a hundred years do we really want -- world.

Where the Chinese -- out numbers 221 of the Pacific and submarines do we want a world work.

The Chinese have the ability to hit our ships a 180 -- climbers now we can only hit there's a 124 out.

Do we want a war where we're losing one point five million jobs without -- back and say wait a minute.

Why is this happening should we start looking at how we stop -- from -- you think this is is getting as much play now as you as you would hope it.

No and that's why we're why not I'll take two reasons first of all what we're trying to do is stop -- were born on twenty different states.

People can go -- -- -- Sunday defending our defenders.

And dot com and they'll find out -- these cuts and what they can do to stop and there's a website -- but but the other thing and the reason it is a few years ago.

This administration came and they literally issued gag orders at the Pentagon.

People there in both in uniform and non uniformed couldn't even talk to members of congress about the ramifications of cuts.

-- I've never seen this kind of silence when you have something this big and -- we won the American people to do is to be able to know what's gonna happen.

And then they can make a decision didn't want to dismantle the greatest from the -- we've ever nine.

This is is this falling on deaf ears of America well right now Americans you ask the what is there what is the biggest -- you know what the answer is it's it's unemployment the economy and their money their pocketbook how we pay for our you know our rent or mortgage.

And follow up with the second question which is this do you know what these cuts are gonna do and what's happening and no don't expect it but you know when the -- and us and the reason is because.

The industry that's just -- I'm -- wouldn't most people congress strike because the administration has not even allow them to do the planning to tell people these.

-- -- -- the -- let me give you one example.

They were getting ready to cut a part seven of our newest cruisers.

The far pounded his crews yours would be twice the entire surface missile capability of the British navy.

And we weren't losing them we were cutting them up in getting room on Afghanistan just doesn't make sense American people I think you figured -- gonna be appalled.

That Democrats who support Harry Reid and so forth say look there are some areas that are obsolete we have to make cuts defense has to be a part of this.

We have to as there are certain areas.

You know you Republicans you just gotta give a little you know what you think about that are well wolf first of all slowly greedy areas that are obsolete we need to get rid of what was this specifically what.

Well I think there -- number of things that we need to do -- -- -- defense we've been pushing to audit the department defense and and -- will continue do that.

I think the American people have the right to know two things -- money's going how much is being spent -- will push to do that.

But the second thing is they -- know exactly what's at stake and what we're up putting them brisket.

And when you asked the American people do you really want our ships to be down -- slope and this number and and have half of what we need an hour shifts that are saying now.

They're the kinds of things that that Harry Reid did mention and he didn't discuss it just says.

Interesting you know and Americans don't know what really is out there.

There's a sort of the sort of collective peace and almost.

Almost a blind guy we don't wanna know an aunt and you know with all due respect to the administration -- didn't -- They can't tell us everything and -- the president knows what's going on in the game you know inner cabinet knows what's going on some of the -- really really scary thing that the classified things and so on and so forth but these are things that you can tell.

The American people so what is it that we can say what is it that Republicans -- people who do support.

Not having these massive defense cuts what do you say to the American people great question.

And first thing I'd say you're right I'm not I'm talking about the classified stuff but there's plenty of unclassified stuff that's so obvious one of the things that the American people know was this.

We know we don't want to get him to 230 ships when the Chinese and warships -- -- navies and we're gonna have and our navy and it's the lowest summer on her ears.

That's not class or satellite what we care about the Chinese and they're right and I can tell you want because they know.

That if we don't have a strong navy that -- percent of all the goods in the world go by -- -- if we don't have a strong navy to protect that they don't want America look like that.

One of the things they know is that in the Pacific that the president itself is just so we're gonna shift.

This pivot to the Pacific but do -- does -- really makes sense that we would have half the number of submarines that the Chinese have enough American people -- saying that.

And Julie that the thing that strikes -- pocketbook they don't -- us -- these cuts are gonna do.

To -- main street America when you put up one point five million job losses.

-- enormous and we start talking about.

Pink slipping -- 150 to 200000.

Men women.

In active duty I think when they hear these numbers they're gonna say I don't have to know classified information that's enough for.

We -- talk about this for hours but actually you do you did mention your website let's do this against defending our defenders dot com he's got a lot of interest information on that.

What else can we find out -- what they -- not only found that that they can found were were common to an area near them so they come out and give us their stories.

And they can -- one and talk about.

How important these defense matters -- to them.

And we're gonna take all that information brings back the -- you'll explain to them.

It in and finer detail that he can't hear we're not -- -- an -- we're gonna explain to them and also listen to their stories we're gonna have retired admirals generals.

Average individuals to talk about the impact of all these cuts on them in a in a reality.

That they can't get in a snapshot viewpoint representative Randy -- of the beautiful state of Virginia thank good to have you going to be with area and all -- got stories like you we box in front this morning we -- this is important issue in our rights right good luck to you thank you extradite.

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