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Washington Examiner Chief Political Correspondent Byron York on the potential automatic spending cuts in defense.
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-- minus three weeks until our nation gets hit with yet another fiscal crisis.
One point two trillion dollars over a decade that's an across the board spending cut.
Targeted at our nation's defense if are gridlocked congress doesn't act and yet Obama today re affirming he won't -- anything but more taxes in his solution.
Byron York chief political correspondent for the Washington examiner joins me now.
Byron welcome back to the show and I said the lawmakers don't have a lot of time that come to terms with this.
Do you think they're gonna stop sequestration or just allow it to happen.
I think it's gonna go forward.
As far as coming to terms is concerned I think Republicans are coming to terms with sequestration.
Don't like kid I think it's the wrong way to cut the government because the laws written the budget control act is written in a way that every single government program concerned.
Has to be cut you can't cut the bad ones and not cut the good ones you just -- -- -- mall so don't like it.
But they've come to realize that's probably the only way they're really going to get spending cuts out of the Obama administration because they're already agreed to.
But you know Obama today says he wants a big deal out in the hear his words and respond to them.
I am prepared.
Eager and anxious.
To do a big deal a big package.
That ends this.
Governance -- crisis.
So does his big big deal by definition is a Democrat -- more taxes.
It does it -- it includes what more revenues.
And what the president wants to do is to say look you Republicans.
Agreed back in the fiscal cliff prices remember you were talking about cutting those loopholes and broadening the base and getting more revenue that -- well let's do that now.
Or Republicans are saying look we've -- raise taxes as a result -- the fiscal cliff deal raised them on the on the highest Harry we're not gonna do anymore that.
-- insisting revenues they just say taxes -- that's what they mean that's what they're talking about it -- into the day.
-- Republicans in the house have been sort of at odds over sequestration for some time that now.
But Mickey -- is saying I have a plan here is what he said today.
The president gave us a proposal.
The cuts.
Defense spending once again.
Has 500 billion in new taxes.
And also cuts and domestic spending.
It's irresponsible.
And unacceptable.
-- -- our troops and our economy I'm ready to face the challenges of the future of the threats of today.
So what -- is proposing is sort of a patch that would delay by one year some 85 billion would be the total cuts 10% of the workforce.
In your view.
Is that the way to go.
Should we avoid sequestration altogether most the cuts going to defense passion -- handled.
Probably not gonna work this is an idea that's been tossed around a lot in Republican circles of reducing the federal workforce which they believe is too big by attrition so every three people who leave the federal government voluntarily.
You're only replace -- with one.
Saves over ten years.
What the sequestration would save in one year so it's really just day at -- it's it's put off measure to try to come up with something else but.
I think a lot of Republicans including the leadership believe.
President is not going to agree to some other big cuts without demanding more tax revenues so.
I think here again Republicans have come to the idea that because of this 2011 agreement when they came up with the sequestration idea right by the way which -- designed to be so.
On palatable that nobody would agree to -- good and nobody was -- it happens.
They would come up with more rational cuts to take their place -- that hadn't happened.
And I think Republicans are saying this is the law it's gonna happen if we don't do anything -- we're not gonna do anything.
But see that's your mistake right they're expected having rational -- -- congress that we haven't seen national long long time.
-- will continue to follow this story Larry and you should come back and tell us more about your opinions on this it's a fascinating topic and one that matters a lot to all of us thank you so much.
Thank you --
