Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta talked about U.S. international challenges. Topics included the federal budget, future operations in Afghanistan, interdepartment cooperation, and policy towards countries such as Iraq and Somalia. Secretary Panetta warned against cutting the defense budget across the board, saying it would have "devastating" effects on national security. Secretary Clinton reminded the audience of the balanced budget years of the Clinton administration, and warned that the United States must remain competitive against the rising powers of China and India. They answered questions from audience members at the end of the program.