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2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumask Repugnants: "Does this mean you won't cut State Dept requests for security funding again?"
[font size="4"]
The GOPs embassy security problem[/font]
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has scheduled a fairly high-profile hearing today on security lapses at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Theres one nagging problem, however, that might cause Republicans some trouble.
For example, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), a member of Issas committee, told Soledad OBrien this morning that he expects to hear testimony about security that didnt meet the basic, minimum standards required for a facility such as the one we had in Benghazi. Chaffetz added that policymakers have to make sure it doesnt happen in other places around the world.
Asked if hed voted to cut federal funding for security at U.S. embassies and consulates, Chaffetz responded, Absolutely. Look we have to make priorities and choices in this country . When youre in tough economic times, you have to make difficult choices. You have to prioritize things.
Hmm. Those priorities apparently dont include security at U.S. diplomatic outposts abroad.
Steve Benen then referred to an article by Dana Milbank in the WaPo:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-forget-about-big-bird/2012/10/09/5f9a411c-1258-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_story.html
For fiscal 2013, the GOP-controlled House proposed spending $1.934 billion for the State Departments Worldwide Security Protection program well below the $2.15 billion requested by the Obama administration. House Republicans cut the administrations request for embassy security funding by $128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012. (Negotiations with the Democrat-controlled Senate restored about $88 million of the administrations request.) Last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that Republicans proposed cuts to her department [font color="red"]would be detrimental to Americas national security[/font] a charge Republicans rejected.
Ryan, Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under Ryans budget, non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed nearly 20 percent in 2014, which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security.
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[font size="+1"] Here's an idea: we should all send emails to our Congressmen/women (or Tweet the Repugnants themselves) asking them to ask Republicans: "Does this mean you Republicans won't be cutting Democratic Administration's Dept. of State Security funding requests anymore??"[/font]
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ask Repugnants: "Does this mean you won't cut State Dept requests for security funding again?" (Original Post)
Bill USA
May 2014
OP
CTyankee
(63,899 posts)1. ABSOLUTELY! My question exactly!
I kept yelling at the TV today when Joe Scar was bellowing "BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI, BENGHAZI!
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)2. Twitter is a very good idea. It is hard for a group to avoid bunches of public tweets.