Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen returned to the public sphere Monday to issue grave warnings about the looming threat of sequestration and to urge lawmakers to work together on defense issues.
“This is no way to run a government,” Gates said of the planned $500 billion in cuts over the coming decade during a satellite appearance before the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “I don’t know the right solution for getting out of the sequestration mess … but what we do know is that the consequences for our military will be dire.”
Mullen, who appeared in-person, added that the cuts would have a devastating impact on training, maintenance and other military programs.
Gates noted that lawmakers nevertheless need to focus on achieving fiscal stability in defense spending. The Former Secretary stated that lawmakers should be willing put politics aside and place their reelection efforts in risk in order to cast votes that will safely help the country cut costs.
