“We are looking at nearly one trillion dollars in DoD cuts over this ten-year period, unless there is a new budget agreement. And we are currently operating under no budget. We are operating under a Continuing Resolution which continues to present DoD with one of its most difficult challenges – uncertainty. DoD cannot responsibly, efficiently, and effectively plan, strategize, and implement national security policies with this cloud of uncertainty continuing to hang over it. It forces us into a bad set of choices”, warned Secretary Hagel pictured here addressing troops on board a U.S. Navy ship in 2013.
During a forum on Global Security held on November 5, 2013 Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel sounded the warning regarding sequestration.
Sequestration in 2013 refers to the automatic across the board spending cuts to United States federal government spending that were initially set to begin on January 1, 2013, as an austerity fiscal policy as a result of Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) – they include over $500 billion in cuts to Defense over 10 years, not counting some $487 billion dollar reduction already underway.
“As you all know, the Department is currently facing sequester-level cuts on the order of $500 billion over 10 years. This is in addition to the ten-year, $487 billion reduction in DoD’s budget that is already underway.
These cuts are too fast, too much, too abrupt, and too irresponsible. DoD took a $37 billion sequester cut during the past fiscal year, and we could be forced to absorb a $52 billion sequester cut this fiscal year. We are looking at nearly one trillion dollars in DoD cuts over this ten-year period, unless there is a new budget agreement. And we are currently operating under no budget. We are operating under a Continuing Resolution which continues to present DoD with one of its most difficult challenges – uncertainty.
DoD cannot responsibly, efficiently, and effectively plan, strategize, and implement national security policies with this cloud of uncertainty continuing to hang over it. It forces us into a bad set of choices. Congress must act to provide the Department with time and flexibility to implement spending reductions more strategically” (source: DOD CSIS Global Security Forum As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Washington D.C., Tuesday, November 05, 2013 http://www.defense.gov/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1814).
See related videos: $85 billion budget cuts – defense cuts -sequester http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXNYc_DZP5Y and Sequester Countdown – Defense could shoulder majority of cuts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Fx5ZS2NxQ