Transcribed & edited by Jenny Jiang

Transcript of remarks by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on sequestration at a press briefing on Feb. 6, 2013:

…I think that Sen. Ayotte pointed out the devastating effects of sequestration. If it’s implemented, it’ll cut every ship, aircraft, tank, truck program, research and development across the board.

Secretary of Defense [Leon] Panetta – a man that I admire greatly – called sequestration a meat-axe approach.

I think it’s important to note that according to one economic analysis [it'd] cause the loss of 350,000 full-time direct jobs and 650,000 indirect job losses. That’s a lot of jobs, my friends, in these very difficult times.

Secretary Panetta – again, I quote – “Simple fact is this fiscal uncertainty has become a very serious threat to our national security.” Our Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our military leaders are saying the same thing.

In the late 1970s, after the Vietnam War, the Chief of Staff of the Army…testified before Congress that we had a “hollow Army”, which then caught the attention of the American people. And one of the reasons why Ronald Reagan was elected to be President of the United States is because of our rapid decline in national defense that took place previously.

We’ve seen this movie before and we live in a more dangerous world than even I can remember since the end of the Cold War.

This is the wrong time for sequestration to take place. We should be able to sit down together and resolve this without again asking the American people to have their taxes increased.

###

Learn More:

• WhatTheFolly.com: Transcript: GOP Rep. Buck McKeon calls Obama’s sequestration plan “irresponsible”
• WhatTheFolly.com: Transcript: GOP Sen. James Inhofe says Obama’s plan to avert sequestration is a “non-starter”
• WhatTheFolly.com: Transcript: GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte says Obama shouldn’t use defense sequestration cuts as a “bargaining chip”
• WhatTheFolly.com: Transcript: GOP Sen. John McCain stresses “this is the wrong time for sequestration to take place”
• WhatTheFolly.com: Transcript: GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham says “Iran is very supportive of sequestration”
• WhatTheFolly.com: Transcript: GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry says civilian attrition is a good way to save money at the Pentagon
• WhatTheFolly.com: Transcript: President Barack Obama’s remarks on sequestration
• WhatTheFolly.com: 5 key facts about sequestration
• WhatTheFolly.com: Analysis: Impact of sequestration on non-defense discretionary spending
• WhatTheFolly.com: Sequestration will result in a ‘hollowed out’ military, armed forces chiefs warned