Deficit-cutting "trigger" wouldn't be all-or-nothing

There’s been a bit of confusion about the “trigger” of across the board defense and Medicare cuts that would kick in if Congress fails to enact at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction based on recommendations from the joint Congressional committee. To be clear, the trigger in the debt limit deal is not an all-or-nothing measure. It only pertains to the remaining gap between the agreed upon cuts and the $1.2 trillion target number.