Sequestration

Floor Speech

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to see that President Obama now recognizes his proposed sequester is a meat-ax approach to cutting defense. Just a few months ago, in the third Presidential debate, he told the American people that these cuts were a well-thought-out plan to modernize the military. He said these cuts were nothing more than the equivalent of no longer spending money on horses and bayonets. He was wrong.

He was correct in the State of the Union in saying some in Congress, meaning House Republicans, want to replace these cuts to our defense, but he wants to replace other spending, as well. My colleagues in the House have offered two replacement bills which the Senate has yet to act on.

Let's not use our brave men and women in uniform and civilian workers who serve them as leverage for other spending. The Constitution states that Congress is to provide for our national defense and the President is Commander in Chief.

I ask the Senate and President Obama to join the House in doing its constitutional duty and replace these devastating defense cuts now.

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