Classified Request

Members of the House Armed Services Committee sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and other members of the House leadership yesterday requesting a classified briefing on how sequestration cuts are impacting military readiness.

On Sept. 18, the committee heard testimony from the Joint Chiefs of Staff that they do not have the capabilities to meet the requirements necessary to comply with the Defense Strategic Guidance of 2012, according to the Oct. 8 letter signed by 15 congressmen, both Democrats and Republicans.

"The committee has received one frightening briefing after another; however, only a fraction of the members of this body are aware of the full impact that cuts to our national defense will have on the security of the country, and readiness of our Armed Services," the letter reads.

Members of the committee who signed the letter believe it is critical that House lawmakers understand the current state of military readiness before the debate on the debt ceiling ends.

Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee canceled a scheduled Oct. 8 hearing on the impact of sequestration on the national defense. The committee was supposed to receive testimony from the service chiefs.