Analysts: Debt-Ceiling Law Creates Uncertainty For FY-13 Plans, Beyond

摘要

Attempts to structure Pentagon budgets for fiscal year 2013 and beyond could be stymied by the lack of an FY-12 appropriations bill plus the recent passage of a debt-ceiling law that contains a moving target for defense cuts, according to defense analysts and former senior Pentagon officials. The deficit-reduction deal passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama last week creates mounting uncertainty for defense officials — and could force defense cuts over the next decade that range from $350 billion to almost $900 billion, depending on the decisions of a congressional "supercommittee" of 12 lawmakers.