Overview

• The Defense Department has paused layoffs of over 50,000 probationary employees to assess potential impacts on military readiness.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Pentagon to plan for annual 8% budget cuts through 2030, amounting to $375 billion in reductions.
• Seventeen defense spending categories, including nuclear modernization and border operations, have been exempted from the proposed cuts.
• Critics argue the cuts could disproportionately affect Army programs, civilian workforce levels, and promising new development efforts.
• Congressional opposition is anticipated, as lawmakers often resist cuts to legacy programs tied to jobs in their districts.