1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 2: The administration is not preparing to request additional funds for 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: the war with the Ron as they have been teasing 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 2: for weeks, with the Pentagon reportedly now on the verge 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 2: of requesting two hundred billion dollars in supplemental funds from Congress. 6 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not blink when that number 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 2: came about when a reporter asked him. 8 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 3: This morning, listen, as far as two hundred billion dollars, 9 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 3: I think that number could move. Obviously, it takes money 10 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 3: to kill bad guys. So we're going back to Congress 11 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 3: and folks there to ensure that we're properly funded for 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 3: what's been done for what we may have to do 13 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 3: in the future. 14 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 2: Joining us now is Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan. 15 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: He's ranking member the Senate Homeland Security Committee, also a 16 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 2: member of the Armed Services Committee. It's also a US 17 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: Navy veteran. Senator. Welcome back to Bloomberg TV and Radio. 18 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 2: It's great to see you. Two hundred billion dollars, would 19 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: you vote to. 20 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 4: Approve not now? No, absolutely not. You know, it's interesting 21 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 4: they use the language we're going to go back to Congress. 22 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 4: Let's remember they never came to Congress. They never came 23 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 4: to Congress to get authorization as is required under the 24 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 4: US Constitution. And so that's not something that's going to 25 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 4: happen right now. The Pentagon budget is roughly one trillion dollars. 26 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,479 Speaker 4: There's plenty of money in the Pentagon budget. But if 27 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 4: there's any hope to get my vote, they're going to 28 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 4: have to come forward with a plan, which they haven't. 29 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 4: They haven't come through with what what does an end 30 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 4: goal look like? What does victory look like? And quite frankly, 31 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 4: why haven't they still executed a plan to keep the 32 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 4: straits of Hormus open. We've got consumers back home are 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 4: now seeing in Michigan gasoline is nearly four dollars a gallon, 34 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 4: almost a full dollar more expensive. It's continuing to go up. 35 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 4: That's having a negative impact on families all across my state, 36 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 4: and people are asking why what's going on here? And 37 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 4: now President wants to spend even more taxpayer money, put 38 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 4: us deeper into debt, and cause absolute chaos in the 39 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 4: economy with rising cost He's going to have to come 40 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 4: to the American people and tell us exactly what's up. 41 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 4: It's really outrageous that he hasn't done that in a 42 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 4: way that's necessary. 43 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 5: Well, Senator, both the President and the Defense Secretary today 44 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 5: we're indicating that it is a matter in part of replenishment, 45 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 5: not just funding the war, but making sure that we 46 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 5: have adequate stocks available for the next conflict if and 47 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 5: when it arises. Is there not an argument to be 48 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 5: made here around adequate military readiness and messaging to other adversaries. 49 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 4: Well, certainly at some point that has to be made, 50 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 4: but I would hope they actually thought about that before 51 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 4: they went to war. Every day goes by, it's pretty 52 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 4: clear that this has not been well thought out at all. 53 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 4: It's outrageous that the President took us into a war 54 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 4: without having these kinds of detailed plans. I understand Israel 55 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 4: was ready to attack and because of their decision, the 56 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 4: decision was made by the President to attack. But we 57 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 4: need to wage war based on our terms, not in 58 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 4: other country's terms. 59 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 2: Senator, we saw a statement today for the group Taxpayers 60 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,399 Speaker 2: for Common Sense responding to this idea of a two 61 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: hundred billion dollars supplemental two hundred billion Steve Ellis writes, 62 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 2: is twenty percent of the Pentagon's budget this year, much 63 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:27,839 Speaker 2: more than the direct cost of the war so far, 64 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: and likely more than we'll be needed anytime soon, which 65 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 2: begs the question, is the Pentagon just trying to pat 66 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: it's already a massive budget, or is the administration planning 67 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: for a protracted war? You're on armed services? What do 68 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 2: you get for two hundred billion dollars? Realizing we do 69 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: have munitions to replenish? But what is the administration buying 70 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 2: itself here when it comes to a protracted engagement? 71 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 4: Well, that's those are the question, exact questions. Those are 72 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 4: all good questions that have to be asked and they 73 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 4: have to have answers. I said, that is no question 74 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 4: a lot of money, and the current budget, as you mentioned, 75 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 4: is one trillion dollars. There's an awful lot of money 76 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 4: in that budget. And in fact, we put money in 77 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 4: the budget to replenish our stocks that we're being used 78 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 4: to help Ukraine. And so that was a part of 79 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 4: the trillion dollar defense budget, was to build additional ammunitions 80 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 4: and to make sure that we had our stocks. Clearly, 81 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 4: this is different now that the president's gone to war, 82 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 4: but those kinds of things should have been thought about 83 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 4: before you go into war, and there needs to be 84 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 4: a clear explanation to Congress as well as to the 85 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,679 Speaker 4: American people. This is taxpayer money that's going to be used, 86 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 4: and we still are dealing with the straits of Hormus 87 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 4: that are closed, that are causing significant economic harm for 88 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:43,679 Speaker 4: a lot of people back home. 89 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 5: Well, Senator, it has been suggested that in order to 90 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 5: secure the strait, it may actually require ground personnel on 91 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 5: the shores of Iran. On the subject of a ground 92 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 5: troop presence here, this is actually something we heard from 93 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 5: the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about just earlier today. Senator, 94 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 5: take a listen if you would, and. 95 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: The final account is I said, it's up to the 96 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: Iranian people to show that to choose the moment and 97 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 1: to rise to the moment. We can create the conditions, 98 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: but they have to, you know, they have to explode 99 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 1: those conditions at a certain point. It is often said 100 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: that you can't win. You can't do revolutions from the air. 101 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: That is true, you can't do it only from there. 102 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: You can do a lot of things from the air, 103 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: and we're doing, but there has to be a ground 104 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,239 Speaker 1: component as well. There are many possibilities for this ground component, 105 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: and I take the liberty of not sharing with you 106 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: all those. 107 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 5: Possibilities, many possibilities for this ground component. Senator, is there 108 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 5: any kind of ground component that you would support if 109 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 5: asked in the name of the global economy of commercial shipping? 110 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 4: Not until I hear the rationale and the justification for it. 111 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,479 Speaker 4: We need to hear exactly what those plans are before 112 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 4: we'd even consider it. But clearly I have serious reservations 113 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,679 Speaker 4: about that. You know, this is not new information. Primis 114 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 4: to that now who talking about ground troops. That was 115 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 4: true the day the bombing campaign started. You're not going 116 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 4: to win a war against an entrenched regime like you 117 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 4: have in Iran just with an air campaign. And to 118 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 4: expect the Iranian people to step up when they are 119 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 4: not armed. They have to fight an entrenched regime with 120 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 4: a very brutal dictatorship at that with military forces. We 121 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,359 Speaker 4: saw when they protested the government, tens of thousands of 122 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 4: them were killed. So to expect them to go back 123 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 4: out onto the streets to be basically killed by the 124 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 4: Iranians military is a pretty tough, pretty tough ask, and 125 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 4: I think if that was the expectation of President Trump. 126 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 4: He did not think this through the way he should have, 127 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 4: and now we are in a mess. 128 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 2: Well, reporting today from Reuters says the White House is 129 00:06:56,760 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 2: considering deploying thousands of US troops to reinforce where's the 130 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 2: operation to be used to Kayley's point, to reopen the strait, 131 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 2: but also some other areas if we could seize the 132 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 2: enriched uranium that's gone missing, or take control of KRG Island. 133 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 2: In this case, though, our viewers and listeners should know, 134 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 2: you weren't just a Navy sailor. You were a CBE 135 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 2: so you specialized in demolition and construction, and you know 136 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 2: what it's like to provide force protection. Would that even 137 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 2: be possible to reopen the strait with the use of 138 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 2: men and women on the ground, and could they be 139 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 2: provided force protection that would keep them safe? 140 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 4: Well, well, certainly the US Navy, the military has the 141 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 4: ability to open up those traits, but we just had 142 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 4: You have to realize it takes a lot of assets 143 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 4: to do that. You're going into a very dangerous environment 144 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 4: when you put Navy ships into the strait that's very narrow, 145 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 4: it's confined, that limits the maneuver nobility considerably with warships. 146 00:07:55,440 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 4: You're also trying to protect tankers which are highly flammable, 147 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 4: easy to hit with munition, and are going to explode 148 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 4: in a dramatic way, and so you're going to need 149 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 4: to have force protection not just on the sea, but 150 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 4: in the air and certainly land. So it's a significant operation. 151 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 4: I'm not sure we have enough forces over there to 152 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 4: do that, but we have not been briefed, certainly in 153 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 4: the Armed Services Committee, which is where we should have 154 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 4: been briefed as to what assets we have and what 155 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 4: the capabilities are for a major operation, which is this 156 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,679 Speaker 4: would clearly be well. 157 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 5: Senator. Of course, you don't just sit on the Armed 158 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 5: Services Committee. You also are the ranking member of the 159 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 5: Homeland Security Committee, which advanced today the nomination of Senator 160 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,439 Speaker 5: Mark Wing Mulland to be the next Department of Homeland 161 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 5: Security Secretary. Granted that share voted with most of your 162 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 5: colleagues on the Democratic side not to advance that, but 163 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 5: because John Fetterman was a yes, it will indeed move forward. 164 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 5: You of course, in his confirmation hearing yesterday, raised questions 165 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 5: about his classified work in the Middle East that he 166 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 5: didn't get into detail. Hence why that was then a 167 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 5: conversation taking taken into the skiff, and I realize because 168 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 5: of that you can't share everything with us. But should 169 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 5: the American people have concern about the backgrounds of the 170 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 5: man who very likely is going to become the next 171 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 5: DHS secretary? 172 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 4: Oh, I certainly they should have concerns. That came out 173 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 4: in the hearing. He doesn't have a full understanding of 174 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 4: what the department actually does. We certainly have significant concerns 175 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 4: about his temperament. He is known to fly off at 176 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 4: the handle, be somewhat of a hot head. I guess 177 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 4: you could call him. Certainly, that's not the temperament for 178 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 4: someone to run DHS right now, you know, right now 179 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,680 Speaker 4: we need a secretary of the Department of Homeland Security 180 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 4: that can rebuild trust with the American people. It's been 181 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 4: severely damaged because of incidents over recent months. We need 182 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 4: to bring down the temperature, bring back trust, and having 183 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 4: someone like Senator Mullet, who is shown to have a 184 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 4: pretty short fuse, is probably not. 185 00:09:57,800 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 2: The right guy. 186 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 4: In fact, I don't think he is, which is why 187 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 4: I voted no, And I think it's going to be 188 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 4: a problem in the future. 189 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 2: I only have one minute left. Senator, the Department of 190 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: Full Land Security has been now closed for thirty three days. 191 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: Has anything changed in this standoff over dmasking or judicial 192 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 2: warrants that would change that in the next couple of weeks. 193 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,560 Speaker 4: Now, there haven't been offers from the administration to do that. 194 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 4: As you know, we just basically want some common sense 195 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 4: guidelines for federal officers that they should have the same 196 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 4: guidelines that our local police have in our local community. 197 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 4: That should be pretty common sense, but it's not for Republicans. 198 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 4: And I want to be clear when it comes to 199 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 4: TSA and FEMA and the Coast Guard and SISA, the 200 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 4: Cybersecurity Agency, Democrats have basically put separate bills to pay 201 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 4: for every single one of those areas of DHS, and 202 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 4: Republicans have blocked those bills in fact seven times, so 203 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 4: they have not allowed us to actually make sure that 204 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 4: those agencies have money. And you have to remember that 205 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 4: CBP and ICE already are currently fully funded because of 206 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 4: law that passed last year, so they're fully funded. But 207 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 4: the agencies that are being held hostage, Republicans have block 208 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 4: now seven times to get the resources necessary to open 209 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 4: them up. 210 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 5: All right. Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, Thank you 211 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 5: for joining us.