The White House is objecting to language in the Senate’s defense authorization bill calling on the Pentagon to cut 5 percent of its civilian and contractor workforce between 2013 and 2017, the Washington Post reports.
Josh Hicks writes the provision is designed to match those cuts with those planned to military personnel.
Earlier this week, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) proposed an amendment to eliminate those cuts from the Senate’s version of the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (click here for our coverage of his proposal).
According to Military Times, the Senate Armed Services Committee designed those cuts so soldiers would not be singled out for other reductions.
Rick Maze writes the White House is also objecting to that panel’s decision to not include the Pentagon’s plans to increase Tricare fees and copayments.
Instead, the committee has proposed limiting increases to the cost-of-living adjustment in military retiree pay, Maze reports.
