Obama Said to Seek $400 Billion Defense Cut Through Fiscal 2023
This article is for subscribers only.
President Barack Obama, as part of his plan to reduce the nation’s long-term debt, will propose cutting $400 billion from the Pentagon’s budget through the 2023 fiscal year, extending cuts beyond those sought by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a person familiar with the plan said.
Gates met with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the Oval Office yesterday afternoon to discuss the president’s plan. Gates proposed in January cutting $78 billion from defense spending over five years, amid pressure to curb trillion-dollar federal deficits.