On the recordJuly 18, 2012
I come to the floor today to call on the administration to inform the American people how they intend to implement the sequester cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act. With the failure of the supercommittee, we now face defense cuts that everyone agrees are far too steep. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has said that cutting military spending by an additional $500 billion ``would do real damage to our security, our troops and their families, and our military's ability to protect the Nation.'' Cuts of this nature would result in us having the smallest ground force since World War II, the smallest Navy since World War I, and the smallest tactical Air Force since the Air Force was created in 1948. Independent economists have testified before the House Armed Services Committee that these cuts will cause massive job losses, including as many as 4,000 in my State of Nevada, which already suffers from the highest unemployment rate in the Nation. The House has passed a plan to replace these devastating cuts, maintain national security, and prevent job losses. Today, I urge the administration to outline its plan for addressing this situation. ____________________
