Pentagon to bear brunt of upcoming budget cuts

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By ANDREW TAYLOR and DONNA CASSATA

WASHINGTON (AP) - A second, deeper round of automatic federal budget cuts is on its way, and it's going to hit the Pentagon hard.

Already reeling from a $34 billion budget blow this year due to deficit-driven spending reductions known as sequestration, the Defense Department would feel an additional $20 billion punch in 2014. All told, the Pentagon's budget for next year would be cut by about 10 percent below levels approved just six months ago.

Domestic programs are spared further automatic budget cuts, a little-known wrinkle that could give Democrats some advantage in upcoming negotiations over repealing sequestration - or at least easing its effects.

That reality is beginning to dawn in the federal government, which allowed this year's $72 billion round of cuts to take effect. Officials have a few months to try to replace an even deeper round of cuts expected to take effect in January.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130731/DA7SBLHG1.html

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In this July 17, 2013, file photo. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel talks with Air Force personnel at Joint Base Charleston near Charleston, S.C., on the last day of a three-day trip to visit bases in the Carolinas and Florida. A second, deeper round of automatic budget cuts is on its way, and it’s going to hit the Pentagon hard. Already reeling from a $34 billion budget blow this year due to deficit-driven spending reductions known as sequestration, the Defense Department would feel an additional $20 billion pinch in 2014. All told, the Pentagon’s budget for next year would be cut by about 10 percent below levels approved just six months ago. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith, File)

[on point]

1. Good start, but try a 50% cut to balance the budget.

To paraphrase Rumsfeld: "You wage empire on the budget you have, not the one you want"

or raise tax rates on the wealthy and the corporations to pay all the pentagon costs since the prime mission of the Pentagon is to protect the interests of the wealthy.

[Sherman A1]

4. Agreed

but, it's a start.

[GeorgeGist]

2. Good. But not enough.

[Sunlei]

3. cut the Pentagon more. We need 56 billion a year to treat our war wounded for life.

[leveymg]

5. Yes, but that's a cut to grossly inflated baseline increases in spending: more than doubled since

2001: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/04/11/157596/military-spending-doubled-since-2001/

[stillwaiting]

16. That somehow never gets clearly described in the media.

I wonder why that might be?

Surely if it were clearly explained an overwhelming majority of Americans would not see these budget "cuts" to the Pentagon as a bad thing.

Aha!

[RoccoR5955]

6. Cut the military spending until it's small enough to drown in a bathtub!

Stealing a line from someone who disgusts me, but it should be done!

[raccoon]

7. I like the way you think! nt

[librechik]

25. and watch the peace dividend grow the economy!

if we can hold the line against them....

[bemildred]

8. Yeah, we can imagine the agony it is causing.

The Pentagon's most vital organ, it's wallet.

[unhappycamper]

9. These assholes are still bitching about a five percent budget cut.

Let's talk about the Elephant In The Room:




Your turn....

[toby jo]

19. Here's to the day when 'Military' reads 5%.

[Ishoutandscream2]

21. Tragic.

[JackRiddler]

22. It's not even a cut.

Cuts are measured by a reduction of its pie chart slice, or by an absolute reduction in amount spent from year to year.

What they're calling a cut is just a reduction in the amount they were expecting to spend. Like some corporation claiming loss of expected profits.

Of course the war machine and empire remain the number one item.

[Triana]

10. They won't allow this. Domestic cuts don't hurt THEM. Pentagon cuts DO.

They won't allow this.

They don't give a shit if children, women, poor and elderly are hurt with abusive cuts. But when themselves and their MIC buddies are going to be subjected to cuts - they won't have that.

[Myrina]

24. My thought as well.

n/t

[formercia]

11. I see the notorious 'Tiger-stripe' cammies are back in fashion.

Must be Nostalgia.

[AlbertCat]

12. Already reeling from a $34 billion budget blow this year

Pu-leez! "Reeling"???? They probably waste twice that....daily.

Can't we stop making bombers to fight the Soviet Union? Perhaps they could go back to building their own barracks and doing their own KP.

[perdita9]

13. Best news I've heard in years

It's about time the Pentagon shared in budget cuts

[Blandocyte]

14. They're downsizing to a rectangle

It sucks.

[RC]

15. Make sure the working budget of General Keith Alexander, is cut way back.

We do not need paranoid sociopaths spying and running cyber attacks on any and everyone he decides is our enemy, including the general citizenry of the United States.

[Historic NY]

17. If they dump the F35 and stop building tanks...

I'm sure they can make it up.

[The Magistrate]

18. 'Defense' Is Where Spending Should Be Cut, Sir

[DCBob]

20. I hope the Obama critics realize this wouldnt be happening if the GOP were in control.

Probably be just the opposite.. increasing budget.

[JackRiddler]

23. Yeah, that's just the right response.

Not that it's outrageous that bullshit stories like these make it a crisis that the Pentagon should ever get less than it expects, even as this beast EATS HALF OF ALL FEDERAL INCOME TAXES, PLUS!