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Rep. Buck McKeon, (R-Calif.), on the steps to streamlining the Defense Department’s budget and the increasing tensions with Iran.
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It's willing the joining us now is the chairman of the house armed services committee congressman buck -- -- mister chairman great to have you with us first your reaction if you will.
Two Leon Panetta is affection understandably for home but it does happen to be on the West Coast.
As is mine thanks for having me -- You know we've got some real serious problems to handle.
On the debt.
And I think probably.
Secretary Panetta is going to be so busy in the next few months trying to get through the budget.
Trying to handle all of the serious -- problems we have around the world.
He he just may not be able to get homeless often but.
A what you're saying is he needs to be a leader and set an example as a member of an administration that has in fiscal 20111.
Point three trillion dollar deficit right.
You know I was I was listening as you were going Oracle's numbers and and -- -- the congress now almost twenty years.
And when I came with the whole budget was about one and a half trillion dollars.
And the last three years we've averaged almost that much there -- us as a deficit.
Each year it's just closure -- it is stunning and let -- turn to the overall.
And budget for the Defense Department.
As we said there -- -- 700.
Billion dollars you're looking at some extraordinary even draconian cuts -- for the Defense Department over the course the next decade you want.
And something more in line with congressman Ryan's budget.
And you want to avoid those cuts altogether that are that are on the table now are you gonna do that.
We'll actually the budget is about 550.
Billion now we've been spending for the war effort about another 150 billion.
A year for the last several years but the base budget -- about 550 billion but you're you'll -- -- about putting those together.
A defense budget annual cost -- were conducting the war.
Right but it will not it will not be that high this year because the troops are now out of out of Iraq.
And it won't be that high in a couple of years most the troops will be out of Afghanistan -- although that number but the base budget this is still there.
But it's a big number and MIA you know you deal in finances and talk about them all the time and and understand this but.
It's it's if we can't find savings out of 550.
Or 700 billion dollar shame on us I know -- camp.
But I think the thing that that the American people don't.
Quite understand yet is the budget the were working on right now cuts 487.
Billion dollars out of defense.
We've taken.
Half for the savings out of defense and they only account for 20% of the budget.
And then the sequestration and we're looking -- this going to kick in.
Next.
January.
January 1 because super committee was not able to do their work.
And find savings in those son's future auto pilot programs.
I apologize were off for -- -- well -- over time are if final day shorten it up.
-- -- -- -- -- Very quickly your reaction to.
I heard Barack the Israeli defence minister saying that nuclear talks will not exempt a ramp from attack.
-- -- through corporate remain.
I think we're on borrowed time I think that we're not gonna be able to talk her way out of this.
I would hopeful that the talks would work but I I'm not very optimistic there right.
Chairman of the house armed services committee congressman -- -- good to have you with us thank --
