Budget cuts will degrade U.S. power, Gates says

Shrinking defense budgets in the years ahead will result in a smaller military and less influence in the world, said Defense Secretary Robert Gates May 24 in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute.

Gates, who is scheduled to retire in June, has made a series of remarks recently designed to challenge U.S. leaders to consider the impact that those cuts would have on the country’s military strength and ability to project its power around the globe, reports the Associated Press.

President Obama announced a plan April 13 to reduce defense spending by $400 billion over the next 12 years.