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At Pentagon, knife sharpeners working overtime

Released: 
September 12, 2013

If Congress and the White House dont strike a deficit-reduction deal, cuts kick in at the Pentagon.

Even as civil war rages on in Syria and the President makes the case for intervention, Congress turns back to their yearly fall obsession - the budget. As we near a government shutdown, House Republicans are delaying a vote on a measure that would keep the government running for now. Why? Obamacare. If Congress cannot come to a resolution of the budget, we could see cuts that could affect the very military we're considering using in Syria. Today we take a look back at an old fact that dives into what budget cuts might do to the military.

The Pentagon, whose budget has nearly doubled in the past decade to $645.7 billion, may soon face budget cuts of nearly $50 billion per year for the next ten years atop an almost equal reduction program already underway. The new reductions kick in automatically in the event that Congress and the White House cannot strike a bargain by the end of September.

To see what cuts are in store, for personnel and programs, click on todays infographic. Then scan What Do Others Say below to see our roundup of views on defense spending. Finally, join the discussion below: think this is appropriate belt-tightening strategy?