Ash Carter

We protected the operations of the nuclear forces under sequester.

I will take the $52 billion, too.

You may all be surprised to know that nuclear weapons don't actually cost that much.

Historians should look back at what might have happened, but didn't thanks to Nunn-Lugar.

The U.S. rebalance towards Asia is durable and will persist and grow regardless of automatic, widespread budget cuts this fiscal year and lower overall spending levels in future years.

Sequestration will almost certainly challenge our ability to do so to the fullest extent our servicemembers and their families deserve.

The sequester will impact long-term readiness, as well as future defense research, in favor of a reckless plan to reduce the budget.

I am concerned about it. It, as Mr. Werfel says, at a minimum, stretches out all the stockpile life extension programs, which is not good, because it makes them, first of all, more expensive, and second of all, we don't have time in many…

The world is watching us.

I urge the Congress to act to prevent sequestration and ensure the safety, security, and resiliency of our Nation.

We are not going to be able to carry out the defense strategy, the new defense strategy, that we crafted under President Obama's leadership just 1 year ago.

Our friends and our enemies are watching us, Madam Chairwoman, and they need to know that we have the political will to forestall sequestration.

We have been very concerned now, Secretary Panetta and I and the entire DOD leadership, about what we have called the devastating effects of the sequester on our Nation's defense.

Sequestration Must be Avoided

We know that these programs are being abused; we just can't agree on what extent they're being abused.

There has to be some accountability there. They have to apply for jobs.

Sequestration will have a disruptive and negative impact on both the Department's long-term research and on investments in STEM education.

The indiscriminate, across the board nature of the sequestration will have an adverse impact on the Department's ability to carry out cyber missions.

It will place an unreasonable burden on the shoulders of our soldiers and civilians.

Funding required for Phase 1 of the Defense Production Act Title III (approximately $24 million) is from the FY 2012 appropriation.

The Nation's nuclear deterrent is, "the last thing that you want to do serious damage to."

If I may, I would like to get back to you on that, in specificity on that matter.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what the consequences of sequester are.

Let me just start with the Secretary and I. The Secretary and I have been saying for 16 months that sequestration would be devastating.

I was up here on August 1st, which would make a very good diamond right in the middle of the chart that Mr. Forbes showed, saying just exactly what I said today.