WASHINGTON – House Republican Conference Vice Chair Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) issued the following statement today in response to President Obama’s remarks in Newport News, Virginia, and how the sequester’s arbitrary spending cuts will affect military readiness:  
 
“The problem with the sequester is not how much the spending cuts amount to, it is how the cuts are made. There is a better way to cut spending that allows more flexibility and prioritization, and avoids cutting essential programs. The House accomplished this in two bills we passed earlier this year by recommending smarter and more strategic spending reforms. Now the ball is in the Senate’s court, and I would ask the president to stop campaigning, come back to Washington, and work with Sen. Harry Reid to actually pass a bill to fix this mess.
 
“To imply we cannot cut 2.5 percent of our budget without hurting seniors or reducing America’s ability to protect its citizens is ludicrous. Even if the sequester goes into effect, we are still spending more money today than we spent last year, and collecting more in taxes than ever before. What hardworking American family has not had to cut 2 percent from their budget in recent years? And why can’t Congress do the same?
 
“Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it best, ‘the biggest threat we have to our national security is our debt.’ And although, cutting funding for military training and education programs, like those at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, will have a negative impact on our military readiness, borrowing money from other countries is also not a sustainable or prudent way to finance our national defense programs. We must reduce the waste and inefficiencies in the budget, and we cannot do this without a willing partner in the Senate.”
 
Congresswoman Jenkins also discussed this topic with Thomas Roberts on MSNBC this morning. Click here to watch the video.