‘Fiscal Cliff’ Offers Hint At More Defense Cuts [VIDEO]

House Republicans' "fiscal cliff" counteroffer to President Barack Obama hints at billions of dollars in military cuts on top of the nearly $500 billion that the White House and Congress backed last year, and even the fiercest defense hawks acknowledge that the Pentagon faces another financial hit.

The GOP proposal calls for $300 billion in discretionary spending cuts to achieve savings of $2.2 trillion over 10 years. The blueprint offers no specifics, although the Pentagon and defense-related departments such as Homeland Security and State make up roughly half the federal government's discretionary spending.

The military, which is still coming to grips with the half-trillion-dollar cut in last year's deficit-reduction law, is looking at another $10 billion to $15 billion cut in projected defense spending each year for the next decade.

Spending cuts shadow Obama meeting with tribes

Hundreds of tribal leaders are gathering with President Barack Obama in their first meeting since his re-election.

This year's White House Tribal Nations summit comes as Congress is in a standoff over automatic spending cuts and tax hikes scheduled to go into effect at the start of the new year.

Some American Indian and Alaska Native leaders fear the looming cuts in the "fiscal cliff" debate could undermine progress made on tribal issues.

Obama is expected to address more than 500 tribal leaders at the Interior Department Wednesday afternoon. Their meeting follows intensified get-out-the-vote campaigns among some tribes that helped return Obama to the White House.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)