“If the Congress does not change that, if they don’t change sequestration, then what the chairman has said, what I’ve said, what all the chiefs have said, all of our senior leaders have said in testimony — and that testimony will continue is that we will face more risks in the future, because we are presenting budgets to the Congress, to the American people that we believe, the senior leadership of the Department of Defense, is required, order to fulfill the commitments that we make to the American people, to keep them secure, and accomplish the objectives”, said Secretary Hagel to troops in Japan. Pictured here US soldier undergoing grueling training in Okinawa, Japan in 2013.
On April 05, 2014 following prepared remarks by Secretary Hagel at a troop event at Yokota Air Base, Japan – a soldier asked the secretary a question pertaining to sequestration.
Secretary’s Hagel’s response was quite interesting. Here is the set up:
“Q: Yes, sir, this is Captain (inaudible) from the medical group. I just had a question concerning sequestration. It seems to me that the way in which we can cut the budget is primarily focused on force reduction and readiness. Is there a way that you can see that that can perhaps change in the future without an act of Congress?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, you just mentioned sequestration, which has driven the budget restraints that we’re living under.
The budget that I presented, the president’s budget, along with Chairman Dempsey, about a month ago to the Congress that we will be constantly presenting in different reviews, different panels in the Congress, that budget for fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2016 was agreed to in the bipartisan budget agreement in December.
After fiscal year 2016, sequestration, which I think you’re all generally familiar with, it kicks back in; it is the law of the land. And what that means is, for example, last year we took about — the Defense Department — a $35 billion cut, in addition to the almost $490 billion cut over a 10-year period that we started on two years ago. That’s law as well.
This year we’re going to have another $30 billion-plus reduction. Next year it’ll be more than that. Then we’ll go back to sequestration, unless as you say, the Congress changes the law, which would mean a $50-plus-billion cut in fiscal year 2017.
So we have requested, in our budget requests, additional funding in what the president has asked for; $26 billion additional funding for this fiscal year, and then over the next four years, a $116 billion increase over sequestration budgets.
If the Congress does not change that, if they don’t change sequestration, then what the chairman has said, what I’ve said, what all the chiefs have said, all of our senior leaders have said in testimony — and that testimony will continue is that we will face more risks in the future, because we are presenting budgets to the Congress, to the American people that we believe, the senior leadership of the Department of Defense, is required, order to fulfill the commitments that we make to the American people, to keep them secure, and accomplish the objectives.
Now we’re going to do that. We have enough money to do that whether it’s under sequestration or otherwise, to fulfill the basic commitments, but it will be with additional risk, with additional risk, if we don’t get those increases in spending.
So your question is a good one.
But also I think it’s important that we maintain the balance, not just for the American people, but for the world to know, we’ll have the capacity, we’ll have the readiness, we’ll have the resources to do the job. But if we do not get increases that we’ve asked for then that will come with more risks.
Thank you.”
Source: Pentagon http://www.defense.gov/Transcripts/Transcript.aspx?TranscriptID=5406