mr. secretary. general dempsey. thank you for your service. i appreciate it as a veteran and also as a very grateful parent of a son serving in the military. in the context of the instability that you're reviewing, i'm very concerned about the sequestration of the defense budget which would be a reduction of 8% to 12% beginning next january. you both have correctly warned of hollowing out of military, but people are still confused because they've heard and seen $100 billion cut of $487 billion cut and now a pending $600 billion cut. it's just total confusion. what message do you have to the american people -- what do you want them to know about the effect of sequestration, mr. secretary and general. >> congressman, i've tried to make clear time and time and time again that sequestration and the cuts involved in sequestration would be a disaster for the defense department. and would truly hollow out our force and weaken our national defense. we're already cutting close to a half a trillion dollars pursuant to the bu

mr. secretary-general dempsey, thank you for being here today. mr. secretary, if the situation changes and you believe the use of force in syria becomes necessary, will this administration seek authorization from congress before taking action? >> we will -- we will clearly work with congress if it comes to the issue of the use of force. i think this administration wants to work within the war powers provision to ensure that we work together, not separately. >> mr. secretary, as a former member of congress, i have the biggest concern, and this has not pointed at this administration, it could be at any administration that they seem to want to take the authority to decide whether or not they need to go into a country that's not been a threat. it might have evil dictators. it might have problems in those countries. but i have been very concerned. i actually went to the federal courts with dennis kucinich and two other republicans and two other democrats. we went to the courts because of the decision and how it was made -- i realize you were not there at t

mr. secretary. general dempsey, we mentioned that the relationship between right now the government and the military is strong. is there a basis for that relationship being strong in terms of maybe just the generals looking -- saying we're going to stay with whatever we think is going to come out on top -- is there a situation scenario where that might change and the military might withdraw some of that support and make some other things possible? >> yeah, i think there are conditions. i mean, i'd like to think the military leaders in syria would recognize that using the kind of violence they're using against their own citizens is a fool's errand and that at some point that will, in fact, jeopardize them as an institution. by the way, that could be one of the reasons they're beginning to hold on tighter now, is that they have used this violence, and if now they return to garrison, allow a referendum to cur, change government, i think they will feel themselves to be at great risk. so when i say "we," i was going to

mr. secretary and general dempsey, thank you so much for your testimony and thank you for your service. i join many others, i'm sure in appreciating your recognition that the unacceptable level of debt is a threat to our national security. and i hear that back at home as well. and thank you for making proposals that will implement efficiencies while keeping our military strong and our nation safe. i wanted to ask you about overseas contingency operations. the budget includes $44.2 billion per year from 2014 through 2022 as place holders for future war costs. now, mr. secretary, and general dempsey, you've stated that the forces are on track to take the lead responsibility for afghanistan's security. and you talked about that today. by the end of 2014. so assuming that that timeline holds, is it possible that we could have significantly fewer deployed troops in 2015 and beyond and could our costs be dramatically less than the $44.2 billion in those upcoming years? >> well, there's no question. i mean, we're running almost how much a year now for the war? >> we asked for 88. >> it's about

mr. secretary. general dempsey. >> thank you, mr. chairman, congressman smith, other distinguished members of this committee. i appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today and discuss the evolving situation in syria. the situation is tragic for the people of syria and for the region. real democratic reform should have been the assad regime's response to last year's peaceful protests, instead the regime responded with brutality. syria's internal convulsions are having consequences for a region already in turmoil. refugees are fleeing, spillover into neighboring countries is an increasing concern. and of course we also need to be alert to opportunistic extremists who may seek to exploit the situation. as well as the need to be especially alert to the fate of syria's chemical and biological weapons, they need to stay exactly where they are. with other nations the united states is applying diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime to compel assad and his accomplices to stop the killing on their own. our military's role to

mr. secretary and general dempsey. i wanted to ask you more about the opposition groups and i think you have been quite clear that it is a diverse group and hard to read them in many ways, but is there one particular or several issues that you see them either fragmenting or coalescing? particularly as it would relate to trying to broker any kind of agreement with the assad regime short of eliminating it. >> as i have indicated, there are a number of groups involved in the opposition. it has not always been easy to get those groups to be able to coalesce. there are some outside syrian troops that are making an effort to do that. there has been better progress by other countries that have tried to, one way or another, provide assistance, to try to urge those groups to coalesce. there has been little more progress on that front, but it is still a difficult challenge. >> it read back to an earlier question about what is it seems so difficult to get the countries in the region to coalesce around a single, unifying idea. i t

mr. secretary and general dempsey. i wanted to ask you more about the opposition groups and i think you have been quite clear that it is a diverse group and hard to read them in many ways, but is there one particular or several issues that you see them either fragmenting or coalescing? particularly as it would relate to trying to broker any kind of agreement with the assad regime short of eliminating it. >> as i have indicated, there are a number of groups involved in the opposition. it has not always been easy to get those groups to be able to coalesce. there are some outside syrian troops that are making an effort to do that. there has been better progress by other countries that have tried to, one way or another, provide assistance, to try to urge those groups to coalesce. there has been little more progress on that front, but it is still a difficult challenge. >> it read back to an earlier question about what is it seems so difficult to get the countries in the region to coalesce around a single, unifying idea. i t

mr. secretary pickwick general dempsey. >> i preach -- mr. secretary. general mcps >> i appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today. the regime responded with brutality. serious internal convulsions are having consequences for a regional -- for a region already in turmoil of refugees are fleeing. spillover into neighboring countries is an increasing concern, and of course, we also need to be alert to opportunistic extremists who may seek to exploit the situation. as well as the need to be especially alert to the fate of serious chemical and biological weapons -- of syria's chemical and biological weapons. they need to stay exactly where they are. the u.s. is applying diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime to compel assad and his accomplices to stop the killing on their own. our military's role at this point has been limited sharing affirmation with our regional partners. but should we be called on to help secure u.s. interest in other ways, we will be ready. we maintain an agile regional and global posture. we have solid military relat

mr. secretary, you come here with unique qualifications to be here today. general dempsey, your record is exemplary, and i want to congratulate you on having children that followed you in service. it is quite an honor to be here with all of you. i would like to preface comments based on what you talked about prior with three years of trillion dollar deficits. it is a concern. i appreciate you bringing that up. i just want to read something from another relatively famous general, dwight eisenhower and said another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. as pe peer into society's future we must avoid the impulse only to live for today, pluntderring for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow. we cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. we want democracy to survive for all generations being to, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow. a wonderful warning to all of us regarding trillion dollar deficits and you have sat in these chairs, an

with that, before hearing system from secretary panetta and general dempsey, i would like to yield to ranking member mr. van hollen. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to join chairman ryan in welcoming you back, mr. secretary, to the budget committee. welcome, general dempsey. welcome undersecretary hale. thank all of you for your dedicated service to the united states of america. and please extend our thanks and appreciation to the men and women who serve in our military. our country is secure and free because of the sacrifices they and their families make every day. the president, the department of defense, our armed services, armed forces, along with the state department, intelligence community and law enforcement deserve a great deal of credit for the important work they have done over these last many years. we have successfully redeployed our troops from iraq. captured or killed countless terrorists actively planning attacks and greatly diminished al qaeda's capabilities. we forged a coalition that successfully helped the people of libya end dictator moammar gadhafi's brutal 40-year reign that in

again before the house armed services committee with questions to defense secretary panetta as well as general martin dempsey. >> mr. secretary, according to media reports this morning, the french president stated that action should be taken to establish humanitarian corridors. what are your views on this option. have you been aware of that? >> mr. chairman, you know, we've looked at a variety of options as to what could be done, including the possibility of developing humanitarian corridors, and, you know, again we're prepared to do whatever the international community ultimately agrees ought to be done, but clearly we had made plans along those lines. >> general dempsey, you stated that syria's chemical and biological weapons need to stay exactly where they are. what can be done and what success done to ensure that syria's chemical and biological stockpiles are secured? >> at this point, chairman, we are as i mentioned in my statement sharing information and intelligence with our regional partners and in the aggregate we feel we have a good understanding of the disposition, the current disposition of syria's chem

mr. panetta and general dempsey. secretary panetta, i really respect you. and i think you are the right person for the job at the right time with all of the experience you have. i want to talk to you about the role of the national guard and some of the decisions that you made. you said in your opening statement that we rely on a strong reserve, a national guard, and i agree with you, completely. as we draw down, potentially in the middle east, we're going to rely a little bit more on the guard and reserve united. that will increase. and i think that -- i was made aware of a letter that the national governors association sent to you about 49 different governors. i don't know if you are aware of the letter or not, but they definitely are concerned about this same approach with the cuts to the guard. could you talk a little bit about that? in their letter they mentioned that the air guard provides 35% of the u.s. air force's capability for the budget. they also mention in the letter that we must oppose the proposal that the air national guard absorbed 59% of t

mr. secretary, for that direct answer. general dempsey, last week during a hearing you talked about the current environment being the most dangerous time that you can remember in your 38 year career. can you please expand on that and what you -- what that means in the context of sequestration? >> ken, it is a bit of a strategy paradox, isn't it, because the great powers are not any longer really standing against each other but there are plenty of let's call them near competitors and even more important there are a wide variety of non-state act ors, super empowered individuals, terrorist groups, who have acquired capabilities that hereto for were the monopoly of nation states. when i said it is the most dangerous period in my military career, 38 years, i really meant it. i wake up every morning waiting for that cyber attack or waiting for that terrorist attack or waiting for that nuclear proliferation, waiting for the proliferation of technologies that makes it an increasingly competitive security environment across the globe. the effect o

mr. secretary, thank you for being here, thank you for your service. general dempsey, thank you again for your service and compliment commitment to our troops, military families and veterans. we shall be adjourned. >>> c-span's congressional directly is a complete guide to the 112th congress. inside you'll find each member of the house and senate including contact information, district maps and committee assignments. also information on cabinet members, supreme court justices and the nation's governors. you could pick up a copy for $12.95 plus shipping and handling at c-span.org/shop. >>> tomorrow morning, here on c-span3, homeland security secretary janet innapolitano testifies before the senate judiciary committee. an oversight hearing on the department's operations and gets underway at 9:30 a.m. eastern live here on c-span3. >>> tomorrow, the supreme court considers whether arizona has the authority to enforce a state immigration law enactsed in 2010, or if the federal government exclusive authority when it comes to immigration. you can hear that oral argument on o