Lettre de Leon Panetta adressée aux sénateurs McCain et Graham

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 1000 DEFENSE PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1000 NOV 14 2011 The Honorable John McCain Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator McCain: I am responding to your recent letter asking... More

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 1000 DEFENSE PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1000 NOV 14 2011 The Honorable John McCain Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator McCain: I am responding to your recent letter asking for more details about the effects sequestration would have on the Department of Defense (DoD). Like you, I believe it is essential that the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JSCDR) meet its target and avoid sequestration. I also strongly urge the JSCDR meet its target while following the President s proposals, including his recommendation not to impose further reductions in the caps on discretionary funding. If the JSCDR fails to meet its targets and sequestration is triggered, DoD would face huge cuts in its budgets. Compared with the President s budget plan for FY 2012, we are already planning on budget reductions over the next ten years of more than $450 billion. These cuts are difficult and will require us to ta Less