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Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Priori

Muddy Creek

Muddy Creek

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Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Prioritize Things'

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) acknowledged on Wednesday that House Republicans had consciously voted to reduce the funds allocated to the State Department for embassy security since winning the majority in 2010.
On Wednesday morning, CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien asked the Utah Republican if he had "voted to cut the funding for embassy security."
"Absolutely," Chaffetz said. "Look we have to make priorities and choices in this country. We have…15,000 contractors in Iraq. We have more than 6,000 contractors, a private army there, for President Obama, in Baghdad. And we’re talking about can we get two dozen or so people into Libya to help protect our forces. When you’re in tough economic times, you have to make difficult choices. You have to prioritize things.”
For the past two years, House Republicans have continued to deprioritize the security forces protecting State Department personnel around the world. In fiscal year 2011, lawmakers shaved $128 million off of the administration's request for embassy security funding. House Republicans drained off even more funds in fiscal year 2012 -- cutting back on the department's request by $331 million.

. . .
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So, republicans cut back security in the AlQaeda areas of the world? Wow....wonder how much that netted the upper 1% in tax favors or the oil companies in tax subsidy increases.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Muddy Creek said:
So, republicans cut back security in the AlQaeda areas of the world?
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No, they just cut back the pot of money thrown at the State Department. Hillary's crew decided where to spend it, and bears responsibility for the loss of life.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Muddy Creek said:
So, republicans cut back security in the AlQaeda areas of the world? Wow....wonder how much that netted the upper 1% in tax favors or the oil companies in tax subsidy increases.
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They forced the State Department to prioritize. Why we even have embassies and consulates outside the US makes no sense to me at all.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Diogenes said:
No, they just cut back the pot of money thrown at the State Department. Hillary's crew decided where to spend it, and bears responsibility for the loss of life.
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No, they earmarked the embassy....the republican congressman admitted it...and earmarked the security at the embassy..the House does all the budget assignments....it's a republican admitting they have been doing that for years.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Tigger said:
They forced the State Department to prioritize. Why we even have embassies and consulates outside the US makes no sense to me at all.
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No, the republicans prioritized, not the State Department. And they cut security budgets, which is what the House does, makes the budgets for the Executive branch, for years.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Muddy Creek said:
No, they earmarked the embassy....the republican congressman admitted it...and earmarked the security at the embassy..the House does all the budget assignments....it's a republican admitting they have been doing that for years.
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Do you know how many embassies we have?

Do you think every single one of them is in need of heavy security detail?

If you were told you had to cut details in response to budget cuts, would you not focus the BULK of your detail on the areas with the most risk?

Here are the numbers for security:
The administration requested $1.654 billion for the State Department’s Worldwide Security Protection program for fiscal 2012. House Republicans proposed funding the program at $1.557 billion. Congress eventually enacted $1.591 billion after the Senate weighed in.
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According to the State Department website, there are 285 overseas/foreign based missions, embassies, or other U.S. facilities protected by the State Department.

A little math tells us that at $1.591 billion a year between 285 entities, it comes out to $5,582,456 each ($15,294 per day, 265 days a year). Now, do we really need to spend $5 million in Australia? In the Bahamas? In Jamaica? In Iceland? Switzerland? Probably not. But we might need MORE in areas like Libya, or Pakistan, or Iran, right?

Let's be real, here. The money provided is plentiful, the application of that money was a dismal failure.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Prioritize Things'

Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Prioritize Things'

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) acknowledged on Wednesday that House Republicans had consciously voted to reduce the funds allocated to the State Department for embassy security since winning the majority in 2010.

On Wednesday morning, CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien asked the Utah Republican if he had "voted to cut the funding for embassy security."

"Absolutely," Chaffetz said. "Look we have to make priorities and choices in this country. We have…15,000 contractors in Iraq. We have more than 6,000 contractors, a private army there, for President Obama, in Baghdad. And we’re talking about can we get two dozen or so people into Libya to help protect our forces. When you’re in tough economic times, you have to make difficult choices. You have to prioritize things.”

For the past two years, House Republicans have continued to deprioritize the security forces protecting State Department personnel around the world. In fiscal year 2011, lawmakers shaved $128 million off of the administration's request for embassy security funding. House Republicans drained off even more funds in fiscal year 2012 -- cutting back on the department's request by $331 million.

Consulate personnel stationed in Benghazi had allegedly expressed concerns over their safety in the months leading up to the Sept. 11 attacks that killed four Americans, including Amb. Chris Stevens. Chaffetz and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, claim those concerns were ignored.

Seems you guys are missing the big story here in your attempts to politicize what is clearly a republican response decision.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Putting it in bold doesn't make it any more defensive of your idiotic point.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Muddy Creek said:
No, they earmarked the embassy....the republican congressman admitted it...and earmarked the security at the embassy..the House does all the budget assignments....it's a republican admitting they have been doing that for years.
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Wrong. Your link says nothing about earmarking the Libyan mission, only the total. Tessa got it right in post #6.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

tessaesque said:
Do you know how many embassies we have?

Do you think every single one of them is in need of heavy security detail?

If you were told you had to cut details in response to budget cuts, would you not focus the BULK of your detail on the areas with the most risk?

Here are the numbers for security:


According to the State Department website, there are 285 overseas/foreign based missions, embassies, or other U.S. facilities protected by the State Department.

A little math tells us that at $1.591 billion a year between 285 entities, it comes out to $5,582,456 each ($15,294 per day, 265 days a year). Now, do we really need to spend $5 million in Australia? In the Bahamas? In Jamaica? In Iceland? Switzerland? Probably not. But we might need MORE in areas like Libya, or Pakistan, or Iran, right?

Let's be real, here. The money provided is plentiful, the application of that money was a dismal failure.
Click to expand...

I can't edit, but that should be "365 days a year", not 265.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Diogenes said:
No, they just cut back the pot of money thrown at the State Department. Hillary's crew decided where to spend it, and bears responsibility for the loss of life.
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You must have missed the interview he said exactly what he voted to cut and it wasn't Hilary that made him do it. He cut security funding.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

tessaesque said:
Putting it in bold doesn't make it any more defensive of your idiotic point.
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His point is the Connies continually point the finger at Obama and when its shown there were Reps involved they cry foul and make excuses. The funding was for specific embasses in specific places not world wide. If it were I would be agreeing with you.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

wolfman24 said:
His point is the Connies continually point the finger at Obama and when its shown there were Reps involved they cry foul and make excuses. The funding was for specific embasses in specific places not world wide. If it were I would be agreeing with you.
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There is nothing available to justify/prove that statement. The data clearly states the bill was for security, not specific security at specific locations. And even if it were, that means there was MORE money available for specific locations (presumably those in troubled areas), therefore further nullifying his idiotic argument.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

I have no problem with the House GOP voting to decrease funding towards worldwide security services....( not sure why House Dems, and the Senate, a well as El Presidente get a pass, but whatever)

primarily I don't have a problem because funding for that department has more than doubled over the last 9 years... and even after this decrease, the funding levels are still more than what they were in 2005 ( odd how Huffpo omitted information about the drastic increases in funding over the last 10 years... but it's not like they are going for truthiness)...

I applaud the OP taking the chance to pin embassy security on the House GOP, but he fails to understand the difference between appropriations and allocations.
( the House appropriates funding, the departments themselves allocate the appropriated funding).. it was a good attempt at spin, yet ultimately flawed.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

wolfman24 said:
His point is the Connies continually point the finger at Obama and when its shown there were Reps involved they cry foul and make excuses. The funding was for specific embasses in specific places not world wide. If it were I would be agreeing with you.
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no, appropriated funding is for programs administered by departments.... such as embassy security administered by the State Dept.
the State department, upon having funding appropriated, allocates that funding to where they want it to go.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

tessaesque said:
There is nothing available to justify/prove that statement. The data clearly states the bill was for security, not specific security at specific locations. And even if it were, that means there was MORE money available for specific locations (presumably those in troubled areas), therefore further nullifying his idiotic argument.
Click to expand...

This is what the interviewer asked him and he said yes.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

Muddy Creek said:
Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Prioritize Things'

So, republicans cut back security in the AlQaeda areas of the world? Wow....wonder how much that netted the upper 1% in tax favors or the oil companies in tax subsidy increases.
Click to expand...

This is what drives me crazy about Washington. The buck stops nowhere. Everybody's responsible. "Look what he did!!!" "Yeah, but look what he did!!"

We're doomed.
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

just wanted to post a lil funding context ....mainly just to show folks that these recent decreases did little more than to return us to 2008 spending levels.

special-libya-security-coll-500x285.jpg
 
Re: Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Pr

MaggieD said:
This is what drives me crazy about Washington. The buck stops nowhere. Everybody's responsible. "Look what he did!!!" "Yeah, but look what he did!!"

We're doomed.
Click to expand...

scapegoating is the name of the game in partisanland...
 
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