Rep. Pat Harrigan Warns U.S. Is Falling Behind Adversaries in Defense Spending

BARTIROMO Welcome back President ░░░░░░░░ s top defense officials ░░░░░░░░ at the White House ░░░░░░░░ after his plans to ░░░░░░░░ an Iron Dome like ░░░░░░░░ defense system Secretary of ░░░░░░░░ Marco Rubio National Security ░░░░░░░░ Michael Waltz and Secretary ░░░░░░░░ Defense Pete Hegseth all ░░░░░░░░ how to secure the ░░░░░░░░ and prioritize American interests ░░░░░░░░ has already gotten to ░░░░░░░░ on cutting wasteful spending ░░░░░░░░ House Press Secretary Karoline ░░░░░░░░ revealed a freeze on ░░░░░░░░ million worth of condoms ░░░░░░░░ Gaza after the agency ░░░░░░░░ it This happening as ░░░░░░░░ set to meet with ░░░░░░░░ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ░░░░░░░░ week in Washington The ░░░░░░░░ invited him He will ░░░░░░░░ the first foreign leader ░░░░░░░░ visit the White House ░░░░░░░░ Trump s second term ░░░░░░░░ me now is North ░░░░░░░░ Congressman Pat Harrigan He ░░░░░░░░ a member of the ░░░░░░░░ Armed Services Committee and ░░░░░░░░ combat decorated Green Beret ░░░░░░░░ earned two Bronze Stars ░░░░░░░░ in Afghanistan Congressman thanks ░░░░░░░░ much for being here ░░░░░░░░ morning and thank you ░░░░░░░░ your service to our ░░░░░░░░ HARRIGAN Good morning Maria ░░░░░░░░ for having me It ░░░░░░░░ great to be here ░░░░░░░░ I d like to ░░░░░░░░ your take on this ░░░░░░░░ Dome and what this ░░░░░░░░ for defense spending Where ░░░░░░░░ you see the need ░░░░░░░░ increase spending specifically within ░░░░░░░░ armed services HARRIGAN Look ░░░░░░░░ think that President Trump ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Hegseth have been ░░░░░░░░ clear the United States ░░░░░░░░ America needs to match ░░░░░░░░ threats of our adversaries ░░░░░░░░ the capabilities that we ░░░░░░░░ here at home and ░░░░░░░░ abroad And so I ░░░░░░░░ that this is a ░░░░░░░░ response to some of ░░░░░░░░ emerging technology that s ░░░░░░░░ out that threatens us ░░░░░░░░ in the homeland And ░░░░░░░░ I think that they ░░░░░░░░ doing what s prudent ░░░░░░░░ you talk about overall ░░░░░░░░ spending I think Americans ░░░░░░░░ to step back and ░░░░░░░░ our place in history ░░░░░░░░ now And that is ░░░░░░░░ our debt to GDP ░░░░░░░░ has never been higher ░░░░░░░░ World War II and ░░░░░░░░ our defense spending has ░░░░░░░░ been lower since World ░░░░░░░░ II as a percentage ░░░░░░░░ GDP Right now we ░░░░░░░░ spending 2 9 percent ░░░░░░░░ our GDP on defense ░░░░░░░░ right now is at ░░░░░░░░ And Russia while it ░░░░░░░░ built a raging war ░░░░░░░░ is actually running an ░░░░░░░░ surplus every year We ░░░░░░░░ behind our adversaries and ░░░░░░░░ have got to catch ░░░░░░░░ BARTIROMO Yeah I think ░░░░░░░░ is a great point ░░░░░░░░ m trying to understand ░░░░░░░░ in fact this Iron ░░░░░░░░ plan is going to ░░░░░░░░ a massive expansion of ░░░░░░░░ and ground based systems ░░░░░░░░ what that means for ░░░░░░░░ You make the right ░░░░░░░░ though in terms of ░░░░░░░░ debt that we face ░░░░░░░░ will total 89 trillion ░░░░░░░░ the next decade Tax ░░░░░░░░ will total 68 trillion ░░░░░░░░ the next decade So ░░░░░░░░ percent of the spending ░░░░░░░░ to mandatory programs and ░░░░░░░░ 24 percent to discretionary ░░░░░░░░ Is it time to ░░░░░░░░ cutting into mandatory spending ░░░░░░░░ HARRIGAN Maria I think ░░░░░░░░ bottom line I ve ░░░░░░░░ here for three weeks ░░░░░░░░ as a small business ░░░░░░░░ somebody that s built ░░░░░░░░ business from a double ░░░░░░░░ trailer to now got ░░░░░░░░ 000 square foot manufacturing ░░░░░░░░ if you re running ░░░░░░░░ like a business we ░░░░░░░░ revenue problems and we ░░░░░░░░ spending problems Both of ░░░░░░░░ things need to be ░░░░░░░░ And I think that ░░░░░░░░ president has made commitments ░░░░░░░░ I BARTIROMO Yeah HARRIGAN ░░░░░░░░ that he will follow ░░░░░░░░ with those commitments to ░░░░░░░░ pro growth policies that ░░░░░░░░ get us out of ░░░░░░░░ mess that we re ░░░░░░░░ in Simultaneously we have ░░░░░░░░ to cut spending On ░░░░░░░░ defense side we actually ░░░░░░░░ to increase it This ░░░░░░░░ where a lot of ░░░░░░░░ challenge is going to ░░░░░░░░ in is reconciling these ░░░░░░░░ things We are in ░░░░░░░░ reconciliation process but the ░░░░░░░░ is is our defense ░░░░░░░░ base needs an awful ░░░░░░░░ of work BARTIROMO Yeah ░░░░░░░░ We ve become very ░░░░░░░░ at producing the high ░░░░░░░░ problem to our enemy ░░░░░░░░ low cost solution And ░░░░░░░░ we flip that paradigm ░░░░░░░░ are going to continue ░░░░░░░░ lose the economics of ░░░░░░░░ conflicts BARTIROMO Right And ░░░░░░░░ think this is terrific ░░░░░░░░ that you re putting ░░░░░░░░ Just look at the ░░░░░░░░ And the number of ░░░░░░░░ that the U S ░░░░░░░░ versus the number of ░░░░░░░░ that China has But ░░░░░░░░ want to take you ░░░░░░░░ Yeah BARTIROMO take you ░░░░░░░░ Israel because the U ░░░░░░░░ is sending around 90 ░░░░░░░░ missiles from Israel to ░░░░░░░░ because the IDF says ░░░░░░░░ had no use for ░░░░░░░░ older systems So they ░░░░░░░░ being transferred to Poland ░░░░░░░░ arriving in Ukraine Ukrainian ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy slammed Putin saying ░░░░░░░░ he s afraid to ░░░░░░░░ with strong leaders President ░░░░░░░░ threatened Russia with sanctions ░░░░░░░░ and tariffs if they ░░░░░░░░ t agree to end ░░░░░░░░ war Congressman will this ░░░░░░░░ ever end HARRIGAN Look ░░░░░░░░ think it s got ░░░░░░░░ end President Trump s ░░░░░░░░ very clear about his ░░░░░░░░ with ending conflict across ░░░░░░░░ globe I think he ░░░░░░░░ in his inaugural address ░░░░░░░░ very broad and a ░░░░░░░░ bold mission to end ░░░░░░░░ The way that we ░░░░░░░░ going to do that ░░░░░░░░ we are going to ░░░░░░░░ the strongest nation on ░░░░░░░░ again And our military ░░░░░░░░ become the most professional ░░░░░░░░ lethal fighting force That ░░░░░░░░ how we deter conflict ░░░░░░░░ is how we end ░░░░░░░░ If we want to ░░░░░░░░ we should be weak ░░░░░░░░ is what we did ░░░░░░░░ the Biden Administration President ░░░░░░░░ is not going to ░░░░░░░░ that happen BARTIROMO What ░░░░░░░░ relief after four years ░░░░░░░░ absolutely zero deterrence to ░░░░░░░░ of our adversaries It ░░░░░░░░ just unbelievable that Joe ░░░░░░░░ sat there and did ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ was running the country ░░░░░░░░ President Trump signed an ░░░░░░░░ order now to reinstate ░░░░░░░░ than 8000 service members ░░░░░░░░ for refusing the Covid ░░░░░░░░ They ll be restored ░░░░░░░░ their previous rank while ░░░░░░░░ back pay and full ░░░░░░░░ You introduced a bill ░░░░░░░░ the Pentagon from issuing ░░░░░░░░ additional Covid vaccine mandates ░░░░░░░░ congressional approval Nice work ░░░░░░░░ us more HARRIGAN Hey ░░░░░░░░ is exactly why Senator ░░░░░░░░ Cruz and I filed ░░░░░░░░ Americans Act We wanted ░░░░░░░░ restore the benefits and ░░░░░░░░ service of those 8 ░░░░░░░░ service members that were ░░░░░░░░ discharged because of their ░░░░░░░░ refusal to not take ░░░░░░░░ Covid vaccine Absolutely unconscionable ░░░░░░░░ happened to these folks ░░░░░░░░ Trump took this ran ░░░░░░░░ it We we have ░░░░░░░░ encouragement from his executive ░░░░░░░░ the other day reinstating ░░░░░░░░ folks providing them back ░░░░░░░░ And as you said ░░░░░░░░ the most important thing ░░░░░░░░ remains from our bill ░░░░░░░░ taking away the decision ░░░░░░░░ process from the president ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Defense ░░░░░░░░ putting it into Congress ░░░░░░░░ hands so we get ░░░░░░░░ consensus on what should ░░░░░░░░ going into the veins ░░░░░░░░ our troops and we ░░░░░░░░ t make political decisions ░░░░░░░░ it comes to vaccine ░░░░░░░░ in the future BARTIROMO ░░░░░░░░ right Great point Congressman ░░░░░░░░ s good to see ░░░░░░░░ We will be watching ░░░░░░░░ work, sir. Thank you.”