Ryan says he misspoke in comment on Pentagon budget

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan issued a clarification Sunday, April 1st after the House Budget Committee Chairman says he misspoke when he accused military officials of not being honest about the Pentagon budget.

"What I was attempting to say is President Obama put out his budget number for the Pentagon first - $500 million cut, then they began the preview to meet that number. We think it should be the other way around. What is the best strategy for our military? So we have a strategy-driven budget. Our review was, we should cut $300 billion from the budget over the next 10 years, instead of the $500 billion. The difference is getting savings and efficiency out of the Pentagon, versus hollowing out our military, short-changing our Navy and Air Force, stretching out the Guard and reserves too fast. We believe what we got from the White House is a budget-driven strategy, not a strategy-driven budget. I did not mean to impugn the U.S. military, and I misspoke on that front," Ryan said Sunday.

Congressman Ryan says he has now spoken with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey. Dempsey spoke out against Ryan's original remarks in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal.