Ken Calvert: “I'm the first to admit that the Department of Defense should not be immune to reasonably based reductions. We should be…”

“I'm the first to admit that the Department of Defense should not be immune to reasonably based reductions. We should be doing that. That's exactly what we've been doing the past few years and will continue to do this year. {time} 2130 This bill that we are deciding today and tomorrow is $3.4 billion below the President's request. In fact, over the past 3 fiscal years, this committee has produced defense budgets which totaled $71 billion below the request, only $32 billion of which has been due to sequestration. The Department is already facing another $44 billion arbitrary reduction in spending if we don't stop sequestration from going into effect in FY 2014. Any further immediate and arbitrary reductions would likely bring the Department to a grinding halt, perhaps past the point of recovery. Specifically, reductions could require reducing/canceling training for returning troops; canceling Navy training exercises; reducing Air Force flight training; delaying or canceling maintenance of aircraft, ships, and vehicles; and delaying important safety and quality-of-life repairs to facilities and military barracks. Finally, the allocation of this bill is essentially in line with both the Ryan budget, as well as the Defense authorization bill. National security should not be subject to partisan politics. Instead, we should show our support for these brave men and women who have sacrificed so much and continue to do so.…”