The clock is ticking, and sequestration will be back in 212 days, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Tuesday.
SASC was examining the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2016 and Future Years defense program.
Carter said he wanted to be clear: “parts of our defense strategy cannot be executed under sequestration, which remains the law of the land and is set to return 212 days from today (Tuesday).”
Further, Carter said, “We have had the worst of both worlds–a double whammy of mindless sequestration coupled with an inability to reform.”
Dempsey reinforced the view–“Funding lower than (the President’s budget for 2016), especially if sequestration-level cuts return next year, combined with a lack of flexibility to make the reforms we need, will render the overall risk to our defense strategy unmanageable.”
Responding to whether sequestration puts the lives of military personnel at risk, posed by Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), Dempsey simply responded: “yes.”
In his first appearance before the committee, being on the job for two weeks, Carter said the $534 billion fiscal year 2016 base budget and $51 bullion Overseas Contingency Operations budget, is strategy driven.
However, “under sequestration, our military—and our national security–would have to take on irresponsible and unnecessary risk…” leading to a military that looks and performs differently than what people are used to.
Sequestration is “purely the collateral damage of political gridlock. And friends and potential enemies around the world are watching.”
“Our alliances remain paramount to our own security,” Dempsey said. This is particularly necessary at a time when threats are proliferating.
Both top Defense officials said friends and allies are concerned about sequestration and how the United States approaches some of the regional hot spots around the world.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), wanted to know if allies were stepping up their game.
Carter said NATO allies are committed to increasing their defense budgets. “They really need to take that step. We can’t be the only ones” with combat potential in theater.
And it’s not just the military, Dempsey said, it’s the involvement needed by the whole government.
Senators, such as SASC Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), zeroed in on Ukraine, asking if defensive weapons should be provided to that beleaguered nation. His parting shot was,” I know what you’ve done, not enough.”
Dempsey said, “Absolutely we should consider providing lethal aid in the NATO context.” Russian president Vladimir Putin’s ultimate aim is to “fracture” NATO, and has said in the past he wants Ukraine to be part of its sphere of influence, not the alliance.
Moving to countering ISIL in Iraq, Carter said the strategy is to work with Iraqi security.
Allies are very important when it comes to countering a terrorist network that stretches from Afghanistan-Pakistan down through Northern Africa to Boko Haram in Nigeria.
“We have to keep pressure on along its entire length,” he said.
Carter told the committee he wants to work with them to resolve concerns and find common ground to avert sequestration and build the force of the future.
McCain said it’ clear, sequestration cannot continue without putting the lives of the men and women serving in uniform in danger.