Rep. Todd Rokita (R., Ind.) said he was proud that he and his colleagues were not bowing to Obama administration "scare tactics" regarding consequences of the sequestration budget cuts, adding he would not "blink."
Rokita pointed out he managed five agencies when he was Indiana's Secretary of State and a two to three percent budget reduction was "very manageable" during an interview Thursday on Fox Business.
"I'm not going to put up with this president and his antics at all," he said. "We're only talking about just under three percent of spending reduction, and really, it's a decrease in the increase in spending. If the president thinks that meat's not going to get inspected or that fires aren't going to be fought ... it's only going to happen because the president wants it to happen."
Part of leadership, Rokita said, was managing to a budget, and he wanted to at least give the defense department's generals the flexibility they desired, if necessary.
"We're going to offer some of that flexibility so our national defense can be taken care of, and we're going to keep removing these excuses off the table and make this president lead," Rokita said. "I hope at the end of the day I can say 'Congratulations, Mr. President, you're finally doing your job after five years.'"
Full interview: