Panel could cut defense budget further

The Defense Department could lose $8.9 billion from the proposed fiscal 2012 budget if a plan by the House Appropriations Committee to trim an additional $121 billion from federal programs goes through, reports Rick Maze in Defense News.

The reduction would put DOD's budget at $17 billion less than it received for fiscal 2011.

However, the committee was short on specifics. It has proposed tentative spending caps for its 12 subcommittees, which then will decide how to apportion the money the full committee allows, Maze reports.