defense budget spending is our topic today with todd erickson. if you want to ask him questions about it, (202) 748-8001, for republicans. (202) 748-8000, for democrats. (202) 748-8002, for independents. you can text us at (202) 748-8003. there is the debt ceiling coming up. discussions of where spending cuts should take place. what is the comfort level of congress for those spending cuts to be set under the defense department? guest: that is where you get a lot of people getting uneasy. there are a handful of people in congress to think the cut should be spread pretty broadly across the discretionary budget. you are hearing a lot more republicans and democrats coming out and saying this is not going to make sense. not just the level of cuts are being talked about, but applying those cuts to defense. i talked about earlier in the discretionary budget, $1.7 trillion, the talk is they want to reduce the discretionary policy of budget. half in the defense. the other nonpar, a good portion is veteran benefits. presumably that will be off-limits as we