Pentagon Begins Planning for Sequestration

[unhappycamper]

http://www.wltx.com/news/national/article/211492/142/Pentagon-Begins-Planning-for-Sequestration




Pentagon Begins Planning for Sequestration
4:30 PM, Dec 5, 2012
By MARCUS WEISGERBER

The Pentagon has officially begun planning for how it would carry out the first $50 billion across-the-board spending cut as part of the 10-year, $500 billion sequestration cuts set to take effect Jan. 2.

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Pentagon spokesman George Little said that it is "prudent at this stage" to begin some initial planning. "We don't have all of the details firmed up," Little said during a Dec. 5 briefing. "Naturally, we hope very much that sequestration will be avoided."

DoD officials are "going to have to do some detailed planning at some point on the numbers and the specific consequences of sequestration, many of which we've anticipated already, and talked about very publicly," Little said. "We're not at that stage yet."

Through this planning, DoD expects to indentify specific numbers and how to communicate the ramifications of spending cuts to its 3 million-strong workforce.


So why are they starting to plan now you ask?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/05/usa-fiscal-defense-idUSL1E8N55N020121205




UPDATE 2-After months of delay, Pentagon told to plan for 'fiscal cliff'
Wed Dec 5, 2012 6:16pm EST
By David Alexander

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Wednesday the White House budget office has directed it to begin planning how to implement billions of dollars in across-the-board spending reductions if Congress and the president fail to agree to avert the cuts before Jan. 2.

The decision reversed the Pentagon's yearlong position that it was not planning for the automatic cuts, known as sequestration. The cuts were included in last year's Budget Control Act because officials thought the process was so onerous it would force rival political parties to compromise.

But no spending deal was reached. With the automatic cuts now looming Jan. 2, Pentagon spokesman George Little said the department had been directed by the White House Office of Management and Budget to begin "internal planning" for the reductions.

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While the impact on Pentagon employees is a top concern, the department may also begin looking at the effect of the cuts on weapons programs and other spending.