Press Room

The man who was responsible for protecting the United States under President Bill Clinton says the across-the-board budget-cutting tactic known as "sequestration" has made America vulnerable.

Appearing on The Costa Report, former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen rejected the idea that more cost-effective security and weapon technologies have made cutting the defense budget possible.  Adding credence to Cohen's assertion that dangerous reductions are underway is the recent announcement by the U.S. Army indicating it would soon eliminate 40,000 soldiers and 17,000 support personnel.

"The reason we're cutting back on our numbers is because sequester has been, in effect. We've had a brief period of relief, from 2014-2016.  But in 2016, the sequester comes back into effect, and that's going to affect our military even more,"  Cohen said. "People elect members to Congress to protect them, and to pass budgets, and not simply to say 'Well, I'm sorry, we couldn't agree, so we'll just cut everything across the board by 10, 12, or 20 percent ... that is an absurd and obscene thing to be doing, especially when it comes to our military."

In addition to widespread personnel cuts in the Army, Naval officials warn the sequester will make it necessary to retire an active aircraft carrier — reducing the number of total U.S. carriers from 11 to 10.  They have testified that this will have a significant impact on the Navy's ability to deploy in parts many of the world. The sequester is also expected to weaken the U.S. Marines ability to conduct expeditionary warfare as well as hinder the Air Force's plans to acquire F-35 aircraft and build the Long Range Strike Bomber slated to replace the B-2. The Air Force also reports that sequestration will affect its ability to acquire the new KC-46-A tanker aircraft.

When asked whether the United States can continue to foot the bill for policing the world, Cohen offered an alternative to sequestration: Be more discerning.

"We have to stay out of messy civil wars. You can look at how we got involved in Iraq and Afghanistan and point to at least $2 trillion and thousands of lives lost, so we have to be much more prudent about where we commit our forces," he said. "When I was at the Pentagon I was very reluctant to commit any of our forces to a conflict unless there was a compelling need to do so. There's always an absolute demand that we use military force as a last resort.

"But that doesn't mean that you pull back from the world and tuck yourself into a sort of continental cocoon. That's not possible," Cohen cautioned. "When we walk away from the world, the world doesn't walk away from us. When we leave an area, somebody moves in to fill the vacuum. Those who move in do not have our interests, or those of our allies, at heart We have to be careful and prudent about where we are deployed, but we also have to send a signal that the United States has global interests."

To hear the full interview with William Cohen visit www.rebeccacosta.com