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Sen. John McCain sounds off on the White House missing a sequestration deadline in the looming defense cuts and what it means to the military
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Once again Senator John McCain.
Sequestration.
My hat it is deeply troubling at least to me is that when the budget deal -- cut.
There was a super committee created.
They didn't come up with a deal in November of last year so automatically -- the sequestration.
And in spite of that that even since the November December January from them -- away until about nobody's done anything about it.
And and and members of congress and the president have not been handcuffed in the basement when they couldn't do anything about it and now we -- -- this.
Draconian situation.
By the way that's the best short description of it that it that I heard what we are facing.
Is draconian measures that will cut defense spending by a half a trillion dollars on top of already 460 billion dollars of cuts.
Which have already been mandated which the secretary of defense and our uniform chiefs -- say would devastate.
Our national security in fact want to.
Marine deputy commandant said we could respond to lay a crisis hit after these kinds.
Draconian measures are taken.
I support further cuts in defense but they've got to be done with a scalpel and not with -- -- acts.
Whose fault is it that it's not being done to day -- waiting for the lame duck whose fault is that the summit summit.
Because you know what it could be just if you know once he's been working on it today.
If that actually some who's been working hard but we haven't had much success.
I'll take the blame for Kate went on blame somebody blame him -- I'm ranking number I'm not.
I'm sure she's -- I believe it and I was senator Lindsey Graham -- -- few people on capitol but the bottom line is it's been no progress since last.
We need to present -- United States to call us over and say OK we need to fix this and how can we do that lies and you -- that.
He's not I don't know why he's not doing it maybe he's not as concerned as -- secretary of defense and the uniformed service chiefs are I don't know.
But I know this.
That if he called us over.
In the face of what's gonna happen to our nation's security.
That I think all of us would be willing to accept cut some kind of a deal.
And by the way they'll be a -- for -- and jobs a trillion dollars and layoffs that would have to be made that would be.
Huge magnitude as I say I lost -- of a million jobs.
And I think that this particular -- -- and I think it's a fact that how the American people that played on this because.
In the event no agreement was was met last November and not wasn't even though something could've been done since since.
These cuts don't go into effect until after the election in -- January and that was deliberate you know that was deliberate so that no one had to make the hard decisions now.
Facing the electric.
That's why the American people are cynical about gosh that's why the approval rating is -- or 11% whatever it is and as I've often mentioned that I have -- anybody in the category that approval process like to ask them what they like about us but so yes we have.
We have not done what the American people expect us do but I do believe that the president as commander in -- -- title.
And responsible for our national security.
-- -- must play a leadership role and sit down with us and get this resolved.
They these defense.
And industries have to make plans are pentagon has to make plans.
And as we get closer and closer to the first of January.
They're basically in a quandary.
What -- think the presence if you were gonna ask -- way you know.
Why's that someone working on now we have realizing your -- or -- -- working on now.
I don't know the answer to that.
Except to say that I believe that the present.
It's not carrying out his responsibilities as commander in chief.
If the sequestration.
Has the effect that the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our uniform service chiefs -- -- well.
I believe them.
And there's so much more from Senator McCain including his views on the crisis in the Sudan just go to Greta are dot com for the complete interview.
