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Poll: Majority of Americas say we have spending problem
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The politics of budget, sequestration debate
- Duration 4:27
- Date Feb 9, 2013
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The politics of budget, sequestration debate
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Welcome back in May well despite what.
The president has been saying the brand new Fox News polls are showing -- overwhelming majority of Americans believe the government has a spending problem.
Talking about 18%.
The poll was released just a couple of weeks before massive defense spending cuts are scheduled to take place.
Isn't too late to avoid the march 1 deadline joining us now for fair balanced debate Republican congressman -- wondering who's vice chair of the armed services committee and intelligence committee member democratic congressman Adam -- gentlemen thank you so much for joining us today let's talk for a moment about what's -- played many people are really worried.
About sequestration and the impact that this is -- house on the country you -- Leon Panetta saying if -- cuts are implemented its regularly devastate our military.
How do you feel about this and can we find.
-- middle ground here.
Well this should be worried.
Because not only does it cut readiness and and training.
But we learned this week that they're not gonna send a second carrier to the Persian gulf so it's affecting.
The real -- military capabilities in dangerous parts of the world today.
And and absolutely we can find common ground the house has passed bills last year to substitute other savings for sequestration.
Bills have been introduced this week one would delay the implementation of Obama care for two weeks a -- for two years the other one would.
Reduce spending through attrition a federal employees.
So none of those are or are too difficult to do.
But they can prevent sequestration but still save money by cutting spending and I think that's what your poll shows American people know needs to happen how concerned are you about this deadline looming many people are upset that we're -- at this point.
Why didn't get to this point in the first place when.
The adjustment should have been made long ago well I.
I am very concerned about -- share of the issues the problems that Mac has -- with it.
The cuts are indiscriminate.
There are -- that we're gonna have to find but it can be done a more sensible way.
Sequestration cuts the good programs with the bad equally.
Also it will have a real dampening impact on the economy of -- of potentially one to two million jobs.
I'm going -- this swift to kind of an austerity plan.
So it has to be avoided and I think we can find common ground we have to find common ground.
And what the president has proposed is a balanced effort to deal with this that includes tax reform at the same time -- includes additional spending cuts.
Both are going to be necessary.
And in fact I think when this issue was put to the voters in the last election they voted to have a balanced a solution.
We've achieved.
About two trillion in deficit reduction so far we've got another two -- to go.
It's something that reasonable -- should be able to agree on it will be fun that's what were -- when you're making new investments but -- I should be able to get a.
And here's the problem so many Americans believe that congress is so polarized right now that it's so difficult to make any headway at this moment because.
Everybody's camp doubt take care of your own agendas how do you hit past that right now.
Well we were able to get past it with an agreement on the fiscal cliff not everybody on Republican not -- Democrats supported it.
But but then after a considerable amount of debate there was an agreement and in my view taxes were decided now we've got to turn to spending.
And that and as everybody acknowledges we have a spending problem.
And so to prevent these dark consequences that come with sequestration economic as well as national security -- include and domestic programs or are cut to.
We've got to cut other spending in a Smart one in there's just no reason we can't do getting the last word here in the final seconds we have left I mean do -- Have a spending problem do you believe that that's definitely what's a player.
Now we certainly don't have to reduce spending and revenue and agrees on that -- -- and we don't have one way to say we don't have one he says that we have to have a balanced solution which none includes spending cuts.
Also includes tax reform.
The first round of the deficit reduction we did under the budget control act was all spending cuts.
The second round was revenue increases and the third round which -- -- right now we'll have to be a combination of both.
That's for the presence advocating I think that's what the country wants and that's where we're headed.
Gentlemen thank you so much for joining us today certainly an interesting debate that's on the table right now will be watching that very closely.
Thank you thank you.