Senator Warner appeared yesterday on Harrisonburg’s WHSV to speak about the pressing national issues surrounding  the federal budget, including sequestration and the recent fiscal deal. 

Senator Warner noted that cuts in federal spending, including in defense, will be necessary to reduce the deficit, but that implementing those cuts through sequestration would be deeply damaging to the economy and the nation.

“Listen, I think we are going to need to make additional cuts in the defense budget beyond what was proposed a year ago, but I think those ought to be more targeted rather than across the board… the so-called sequestration are the dumbest kind of cuts around, because they cut regardless of whether a program is good or bad.” said Senator Warner. “I think we need to find ways to cut federal spending, but sequestration is the wrong way to go about it and I hope we avoid it.”

Senator Warner spoke about seeking bipartisan entitlement reform, which he sees as necessary to sustain vital programs and seriously address the federal deficit. 

“I get really upset with folks in both parties.  On one hand folks saying we can’t raise any additional revenues, on the other hand folks in another party saying we can never touch medicare or social security.  The fact of the matter is… we’re going to have to find ways to generate some additional revenues, we’re going to have to find ways to start phasing in some changes to medicare and social security to make sure that they’re still viable.”

Senator Warner also expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of Congress’ recent fiscal deal.

“We ended up with something that avoided the worst consequences of the fiscal cliff, but candidly didn’t get the job done.  My hope would be that rather than waiting until the eleventh and a half hour [to get a deal], that there could be a more bipartisan effort coming out of the center that could actually get a hearing on the floor of the Senate or the House.”