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Sen. Roger Wicker, (R-Miss.), on Tropical Storm Isaac, the drought's impact on the Mississippi River and defense cuts.
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-- -- up -- minute all right let's move on to some serious stuff -- the governor of Mississippi declaring a state of emergency is tropical storm Isaac.
Barrels along the Gulf Coast area joining me now from Tampa Florida the site because of the Republican National Convention.
Senator Roger Wicker you gaveled in now you're out of their at least -- today's ended up.
Let's talk about Isaac first what's the biggest threat -- state as it stands now.
Well we're watching it all on an hourly basis it looks like it might have been downgraded now to a projected category one that would be very very.
Encouraging news force but you know it's flooding in and -- and depends on -- exactly where the ideas.
But we're we're monitoring it we're helping with the federal agencies.
Our emergency management folks in Mississippi.
Our our very much professional -- now in this so what I think they're doing well.
And you think they've learned the lessons from Katrina which was seven years ago this coming Wednesday.
That's right it's an -- anniversary but that was a category for a direct hit.
This looks a lot different feels a lot more hopeful to me.
So ironic isn't it because we've been talking so much about the droughts and now we have this huge storm -- Potential for absolutely flooding rains.
How -- the drought impacted Mississippi was for -- along -- the -- would all the barges on the call list that goes on up and down that huge -- normally.
That's how it's affected us actually.
We for the most part our farm area has escape the brunt of the drought that's been.
More.
In Arkansas.
Oklahoma injury in that area so well our our farmers have done quite well but -- -- the Mississippi River.
Is an artery of commerce.
And when the barges can't get up and down it affects the economy so the corps of engineers again they know what to do they've done it before.
And we're keeping the Mississippi River opened.
Are you concerned senator that this storm Isaac comes right at the time is -- Mitt Romney is trying to gain that all important momentum as he heads towards.
The election night about nine weeks time my consent of the convention's going to be overshadowed just a little bit.
Well if it's a category one minutes limited to flooding.
Perhaps not you know there's really nothing we can do about it it's it's an act of god it's a natural occurrence.
And we're just monitoring it we were concerned for the people in the way -- But we have a country to run -- convention.
To proceed with -- we really don't have a choice.
And -- on the armed services committee senator very quickly what is -- about these automatic spending cuts that would kick on kicking in on January 3.
How difficult or how devastating would it be to.
The defense budget and in particular does it do -- -- state.
Well it would cost our state 111000 jobs.
One million jobs nationwide that's what it would amount to but also we're talking the smallest navy.
Since World War I.
Devastating cuts to troop strength it was a draconian -- index approach.
Which was intended to be so drastic.
That it would never kick in.
All right Brody at a time senator -- thank you so much for joining us from Tampa whereas the convention gets under way full scale tomorrow but we appreciate you taking time --
