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Pentagon: Thousands face furloughs if budget cuts prevail
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- If Congress doesn't find a way to avoid mandatory budget cuts by March 1, hundreds of thousands of Pentagon civilian employees will face furloughs and reduced paychecks by April, according to the Pentagon's No. 2 official Those employees wouldlose one day of work per week for the remainder of the budget year, which ends in September, said Ashton Carter, the deputy defense secretary, in a Friday interview in his office with a small group of reporters. "This is painful to us," Carter said. The Pentagon has about 800,000 civilian employees; they have not yet been officially notified of furloughs. Carter said the furloughs would be expected to save $5 billion. No military positions will be cut, he said. Carter said the Pentagon already is eliminating all 46,000 of its temporary civilian workers in anticipation of budget cuts that are part of a deal hammered out by Congress to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff." The administration holds out hope that Congress will come up with a deficit-cutting mechanism to replace the across-the-board spending cuts due to take effect March 1, but Carter suggested that hopes are not high. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have repeatedly warned that the threatened defense cuts, amounting to about $50 billion this budget year, would hurt national security. Carter said he feared that the message has not been heard widely enough in Congress and across the country. Carter also said the Afghan war effort eventually would be harmed by across-the-board budget cuts, even as the Obama administration intends to shield the military's combat mission from the reductions. "There will be second-order effects on the war," Carter said. Deferred maintenance on weapons and other equipment, for example, will eventually erode the combat fitness of military units deploying to Afghanistan, he said. The U.S. has about 66,000 troops in Afghanistan, with an undetermined number of withdrawals expected this year and in 2014. Carter also disclosed that he will remain on the job as deputy defense secretary in President Barack Obama's second term. He said Obama had called him after nominating Chuck Hagel to be his next defense secretary, asking Carter to remain. "I agreed to do that, and I'm enthusiastic about doing that," he said, adding that he believes Hagel will be a good Pentagon chief. Carter had been mentioned as a possible Obama choice for energy secretary. 
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Today is Thursday, June 20, the 171st day of 2013. There are 194 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: The latest interpretation of the conscription law is said to be that $800 can be paid for an exemption, in which case the person will be eligible for call ina subsequent draft; or a substitute can be furnished. In the latter case, if the substitute isaccepted, the person he represents is exempted for that draft period.
1888 -- 125 years ago: A floral concert presented by Central Presbyterian Church womenattracted a large crowd yesterday.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Milton Reed, infielder on the Davenport baseball club, has beensold to the Philadelphia National league team.
1938 -- 75 years ago: The State Bank of Rock Island has doubled its capital structure,raising it to $1 million, according to Lewis B. Wilson, president of the bank.
1963 -- 50 years ago: The American Wind Symphony Orchestra will present two concertsin the Quad-Cities on Aug. 6, performing from its specially equipped stage-barge. Thebarge, which is traveling the Mississippi River route, will be moored just off the shore forthe concerts.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Fines for overdue items at the Rock Island Public Library are beingincreased to 10 cents per day per item effective July 1. Fines will not be prorated onbooks returned after that date.
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