Sequestration

Armed Service Republicans Reveal Unsustainable GOP Position On Sequestration

Brian Beutler | February 7, 2013, 6:00AM

Armed Service committee Republicans in both the House and Senate scheduled a Capitol press conference Wednesday to promote legislation to pay down the sequester -- deep, across the board cuts to defense and domestic spending -- through September without raising any tax revenue. But the assembled members unintentionally revealed a tension just beneath the surface of GOP unity that might ultimately crack the party's anti-tax absolutism once again.

Several of the members -- all party principles on defense issues -- described the consequences of sequestration in apocalyptic terms.

"If it's implemented it'll cut every ship, aircraft, tank, truck program, research and development across the board," said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who until recently was the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services committee. "According to one economic analysis the cost -- would cause the loss of 350,000 full time direct jobs, and 650,000 indirect job losses.

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