At a House Armed Services Committee yesterday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey warned against making further reductions to future defense spending, telling lawmakers that further cuts will “truly devastate our national defense.”

Under the current budget deal, Congress agreed to raise America’s debt ceiling—and cut spending by the same amount. But the hard part—the cutting—is left to a twelve member bipartisan panel known as the supercommittee. Unless Congress passes by January 12, 2012, a bill originating fro the supercommittee that reduces the 10-year federal deficit by over $1.2 trillion, a so-called “sequestration” mechanism will automatically slash defense spending by as much as $600 billion more. The Pentagon’s long-term budget already faces cuts totaling roughly $490 billion.