Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta urged the House Armed Services Committee to keep in mind the strategic threats that will remain constant as the Pentagon trims $450 billion from its budget during the next decade. “As we confront the fiscal challenges that this nation faces, we’re doing it at a time when we are continuing to confront a series of very real threats in the world to our national security,” Panetta said, testifying before Congress for the first time in his capacity the military’s top civilian leader. He urged lawmakers to act to protect benefits, maintain a capable force, and find savings through trimming duplication and improving the procurement process.
