The Hill News

In a polarized political environment, fractured by partisan debate about the debt ceiling, pending decisions about defense spending have been characterized as a contest between hawks and doves.
 
But what’s needed most aren’t hawks or doves, but “owls,” with the wisdom and vision to balance federal budget constraints against America’s need to defend our national security, preserve our technological leadership, protect our troops, maintain our industrial base and foster middle-class, family-supporting jobs. These are the most fundamental requirements of American government.
 
The leadership of the defense industry does not dispute the need to cut federal spending of all kinds, nor do we disagree that the Defense Department must share in those reductions. Indeed, the Pentagon has already cut hundreds of billions of dollars from its budget by streamlining bureaucracy, finding efficiencies, and even canceling some critical programs.
 
However, under a process called sequestration, the Defense Department could face a second round of cuts totaling $600 billion over fiscal years 2012-2021, above and beyond the $350 billion in cuts already in the deal.  U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta expressed grave concerns recently, stating that “We cannot allow that effort to go so far and cut so deep that it jeopardizes our ability to deal with the other very real and very serious threats we face around the world.”

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