Khanna: We Spend Billions on Defense, But Are Running Out of Ammo, ‘Where Is This Money Going?’

ACOSTA Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ talk about this is ░░░░░░░░ Ro Khanna the deputy ░░░░░░░░ of the Progressive Caucus ░░░░░░░░ California Democrat also serves ░░░░░░░░ the House Armed Services ░░░░░░░░ Congressman thanks for joining ░░░░░░░░ As you know Speaker ░░░░░░░░ is accusing Democrats who ░░░░░░░░ against this defense bill ░░░░░░░░ yourself of putting politics ░░░░░░░░ the country s servicemen ░░░░░░░░ women What s your ░░░░░░░░ to that KHANNA Well ░░░░░░░░ Milley disagrees with Speaker ░░░░░░░░ I mean Chairman Milley ░░░░░░░░ in the military we ░░░░░░░░ to educate folks about ░░░░░░░░ all the different books ░░░░░░░░ it would be shameful ░░░░░░░░ the military not to ░░░░░░░░ that So what the ░░░░░░░░ are doing is disregarding ░░░░░░░░ advice of military officers ░░░░░░░░ in very divisive amendments ░░░░░░░░ they can t read ░░░░░░░░ books that they can ░░░░░░░░ have reproductive rights And ░░░░░░░░ had all of the ░░░░░░░░ many of whom who ░░░░░░░░ voted for the bill ░░░░░░░░ committee now say we ░░░░░░░░ t vote for the ░░░░░░░░ because it s too ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA And Congressman how ░░░░░░░░ are you about Republicans ░░░░░░░░ diversity initiatives in the ░░░░░░░░ What sort of impact ░░░░░░░░ that have if these ░░░░░░░░ were to become law ░░░░░░░░ Well Jim the military ░░░░░░░░ historically been the leader ░░░░░░░░ building a multiracial society ░░░░░░░░ led in integration They ░░░░░░░░ led in making sure ░░░░░░░░ people have camaraderie and ░░░░░░░░ that carries on after ░░░░░░░░ service So it s ░░░░░░░░ sad that the Republicans ░░░░░░░░ inject this kind of ░░░░░░░░ warfare into the military ░░░░░░░░ military should be there ░░░░░░░░ be protecting the country ░░░░░░░░ I guess it shouldn ░░░░░░░░ be politicians arguing Why ░░░░░░░░ t We listen to ░░░░░░░░ top military brass They ░░░░░░░░ the ones who are ░░░░░░░░ that the practices they ░░░░░░░░ right now are working ░░░░░░░░ And it sounds like ░░░░░░░░ bill is dead on ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate maybe ░░░░░░░░ on departure in the ░░░░░░░░ What should the bipartisan ░░░░░░░░ between the House and ░░░░░░░░ look like do you ░░░░░░░░ KHANNA Well the first ░░░░░░░░ we have to also ░░░░░░░░ is the spending Let ░░░░░░░░ be clear Jim we ░░░░░░░░ being gouged by defense ░░░░░░░░ in terms of what ░░░░░░░░ taxpayers are being charged ░░░░░░░░ s the question I ░░░░░░░░ We have almost a ░░░░░░░░ dollar defense budget and ░░░░░░░░ can t make enough ░░░░░░░░ to give to Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ ve had this war ░░░░░░░░ almost a year and ░░░░░░░░ ve run out of ░░░░░░░░ to have sufficient artillery ░░░░░░░░ terms of steel of ░░░░░░░░ top 15 companies Nine ░░░░░░░░ them are in China ░░░░░░░░ one in the United ░░░░░░░░ Where is this money ░░░░░░░░ We need accountability and ░░░░░░░░ need to be building ░░░░░░░░ industrial base and actually ░░░░░░░░ things that are going ░░░░░░░░ strengthen our national security ░░░░░░░░ And would you vote ░░░░░░░░ a final bill that ░░░░░░░░ any of these GOP ░░░░░░░░ We re showing some ░░░░░░░░ them on screen now ░░░░░░░░ the Defense Department policy ░░░░░░░░ abortion eliminate office of ░░░░░░░░ equity inclusion ban Critical ░░░░░░░░ Theory ban radical gender ░░░░░░░░ as it s called ░░░░░░░░ books and military schools ░░░░░░░░ use of pride flag ░░░░░░░░ mean would any of ░░░░░░░░ amendments fly with you ░░░░░░░░ From that list scanning ░░░░░░░░ No And I don ░░░░░░░░ think they ll fly ░░░░░░░░ colleagues We re not ░░░░░░░░ to sacrifice basic reproductive ░░░░░░░░ basic rights for the ░░░░░░░░ community on a military ░░░░░░░░ especially when the military ░░░░░░░░ don t want to ░░░░░░░░ that And the Democrats ░░░░░░░░ t do that We ░░░░░░░░ t add our priorities ░░░░░░░░ are extraneous when we ░░░░░░░░ these defense bills It ░░░░░░░░ sad to see the ░░░░░░░░ doing this ACOSTA And ░░░░░░░░ I let you go ░░░░░░░░ want to get your ░░░░░░░░ to a stunning comment ░░░░░░░░ Congressman Crane on the ░░░░░░░░ floor during the debate ░░░░░░░░ this bill He s ░░░░░░░░ from Arizona Let s ░░░░░░░░ to this Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ My amendment has nothing ░░░░░░░░ do with whether or ░░░░░░░░ colored people or black ░░░░░░░░ or anybody can serve ░░░░░░░░ It has nothing to ░░░░░░░░ with color of your ░░░░░░░░ UNKNOWN Mr Speaker CRANE ░░░░░░░░ of that stuff BEATTY ░░░░░░░░ d like to be ░░░░░░░░ to have the words ░░░░░░░░ people stricken from the ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends ACOSTA Congressman ░░░░░░░░ went through your mind ░░░░░░░░ you heard that KHANNA ░░░░░░░░ was sad I mean ░░░░░░░░ just thought we had ░░░░░░░░ past this as a ░░░░░░░░ You know I was ░░░░░░░░ outside the White House ░░░░░░░░ folks a White House ░░░░░░░░ and there were some ░░░░░░░░ that they said to ░░░░░░░░ are you Lebanese when ░░░░░░░░ was introduced to the ░░░░░░░░ Were you born in ░░░░░░░░ And I think it ░░░░░░░░ just a reminder those ░░░░░░░░ of comments the comments ░░░░░░░░ face that race is ░░░░░░░░ an issue in America ░░░░░░░░ we have to be ░░░░░░░░ about it We don ░░░░░░░░ have to condemn people ░░░░░░░░ they bring these things ░░░░░░░░ but we do have ░░░░░░░░ condemn what their actions ░░░░░░░░ and speak out equivocally ░░░░░░░░ that and ask for ░░░░░░░░ do better as a ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA All right Congressman ░░░░░░░░ Khanna of California thank ░░░░░░░░ very much for your ░░░░░░░░ We appreciate it KHANNA ░░░░░░░░ you.”