The Hill News

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) expressed skepticism Thursday that U.S. military leaders were being honest in their budget requests to Congress.

“We don’t think the generals are giving us their true advice,” Ryan said during a forum on the budget sponsored by the National Journal. "We don't think the generals believe their budget is really the right budget. 

He noted that a strategy review of the Pentagon's budget began shortly after President Obama released his budget request.

"So what we get from the Pentagon is more of a budget driven strategy, not a strategy driven budget," Ryan said.

He went on to say that while there were certainly inefficiencies that could be reduced in the Pentagon's budget, fighting wars in the Middle East and a "dangerous world" necessitated keeping defense spending level.

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