(see note from FNC’s Chad Pergram below the line)
I don’t know whether a deal will result between now and March 1 on sequester, but it sure is stupid if indeed our military doesn’t have a plan in the event the cuts DO happen on March 1. It has always been a possibility so they should be ready. Is the military not ready for it?
And one other thing….last night in President Obama’s SOTU he referred to the “sudden” sequestration. There is nothing sudden about it — we have all known about it since August 2011 and the Republicans even say it was was President Obama’s team who came up with the idea. The sequestration (if it happens on March 1) is not sudden.
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Urgent: Rep Bishop blasts Pentagon brass for not preparing for the sequester
Per Pergram-Capitol Hill
Very fiery exchange between Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) and Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter at the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the sequester. Bishop lights up all four of the service chiefs and others for waiting so long to plan for the sequester…and acting like it wasn’t a possibility…when the military plans for everything. Bishop places some of the blame for not being able to turn off the sequester at the feet of the Pentagon…an argument we’ve not heard before.
Bishop:
The silence that was coming from the department…from the Pentagon did not help
Bishop:
You bear some of the responsibility
Bishop:
December was too late.
Bishop:
Had you started earlier, you could have helped
* Carter responds that “It doesn’t take a genius to” know it was coming
Biship shoots back:
That answer is not acceptable. You were not vigilent on this issue early enough. To only do this in December of 2012 does not help it would move forward.
Bishop:
A lot of people took you at your word.
Chad Pergram
FOX News
Senior Producer for Capitol Hill
