Panetta Makes Last Push To Sway Defense Authorization Conferees

摘要

As House and Senate conferees near an agreement on the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is making a final push to advocate changes the White House proposed earlier this year for both chambers' versions of the legislation.In a Dec. 11 letter to the House and Senate Armed Services committees, Panetta says the House and Senate bills include provisions mat would divert $8 billion in FY-13 and $74 billion over the next decade to "unnecessary programs and activities, undermining our ability to execute the new defense strategy, and threatening our military readiness."