The Defense Department plans to send Congress a request by the end of April to reprogram $7.5 billion within its fiscal year 2013 budget, intending to use those funds to pay for war costs.Pentagon officials want lawmakers to review the request by the end of May as it looks for ways to manage a $15 billion shortfall in its operating budget, Defense News reports.
Marcus Weisgerber writes the Pentagon has to cut $41 billion from its fiscal 2013 budget, containing $614 billion total, but is seeing warfighting costs in Afghanistan rise more than it previously estimated.
Weisgerber writes the Pentagon is limited to reprogram $7.5 billion under the fiscal 2013 Defense Appropriations Act, which says the department can move $4 billion within either its base budget or overseas contingency operations budget and $3 billion within only the OCO budget.
The Pentagon is also preparing to furlough its civilian workers to find savings under sequestration.
