BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) According to the U.S. "Capitol Hill" report, at a time when the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are increasingly arguing over the upcoming debt ceiling, Republican House Speaker McCarthy hinted on the 15th that he supports cutting some defense spending.
Data map: Speaker of the US House of Representatives McCarthy.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Sha Hanting
In an interview with Fox News, host Maria Bartiromo reportedly asked McCarthy if he would be willing to cut defense spending and freeze spending at 2022 levels as part of an agreement within the Republican Party.
The media said this would effectively cut $75 billion from the $857 billion defense budget for fiscal year 2023.
However, McCarthy said he did not think the agreement within the Republican Party would result in a $75 billion reduction in defense spending, but he also expressed support for targeted cuts.
"If we go back to where we were in 2022, that's what we spent two or three weeks ago," McCarthy said.
"But that doesn't mean cutting $75 billion in defense spending."
McCarthy also noted that he sees a need to increase efficiency and eliminate unnecessary waste in certain areas of defense.
"I want our military to have the best weapons possible to defend themselves and stay safe," he said. But "every level of government" should look for ways to spend less on taxpayer dollars.
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McCarthy's remarks came as tensions within House Republicans over defense spending are rising.
According to reports, McCarthy had previously reached an agreement with hardliners in the party who opposed him in order to win enough votes to support him as the speaker of the House of Representatives, agreeing to limit discretionary defense spending to the level of fiscal year 2022.
Several Republican lawmakers have spoken out against the potential cuts, with Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales saying earlier this month that it was a "terrible idea," citing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine situation and other foreign threaten.