Budget cuts over and above the $350 billion approved by Congress in August would have a "devastating" impact and erode U.S. ability to achieve its national security objectives, the nominee for deputy defense secretary told his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Additional defense cuts of up to $600 billion "would lead us to have to consider truly draconian things," including abandoning major weapons systems and furloughing employees, said Ashton Carter, the current undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee he believed the Pentagon could build a balanced defense program with $350 billion less to spend over 10 years as required by the legislation passed in August. But the legislation set up a panel to look at further cuts, and if this panel fails to reach agreement the government would face additional across-the-board cuts of about $600 billion in national security spending. He noted in written testimony that the effort would "require difficult choices" by the Defense Department and Congress. He said greater cuts would significantly weaken the ability of the U.S. military to respond to threats around the globe. Carter said a second round of forced cuts if the committee fails to reach a compromise would be particularly troubling because it would cut a percentage of everything. -- SPA
