BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AJR 46
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          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AJR 46 (Block)
          As Introduced  August 7, 2012
          Majority vote 

           VETERANS AFFAIRS    8-0                                         
                    
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          |Ayes:|Cook, Pan, Atkins, Block, |     |                          |
          |     |Gorell,   V. Manuel       |     |                          |
          |     |P�rez, Williams, Yamada   |     |                          |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
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           SUMMARY  :  Supports the advocacy efforts of "Operation San Diego" 
          to promote to Congress and the President the importance of 
          military spending in the San Diego region and its impact on the 
          economy and to advocate the importance of maintaining strong, 
          continued military spending in the San Diego region.  
          Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Resolves that the Legislature fully supports the advocacy 
            efforts of Operation San Diego to promote to Congress and the 
            President the importance of military spending in the San Diego 
            region and its impact on the economy and to advocate the 
            importance of maintaining strong, continued military spending 
            in the San Diego region.

          2)Resolves that the Legislature urges Congress and the President 
            to adopt an alternative plan to sequestration that will 
            preserve and grow the San Diego region's military assets.

          3)Directs the Chief Clerk of the Assembly to transmit copies of 
            this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
            United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
            to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and 
            Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
            States, and to the author for appropriate distribution.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  Unknown.  This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the 
          Legislative Counsel.
           
          COMMENTS  :  According to the author:

               The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego 








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               Regional Economic Development Corporation, CONNECT, the San 
               Diego Military Advisory Council, and other local business 
               and military groups have formed "Operation San Diego" to 
               highlight the potential impacts of the United States 
               Department of Defense spending cuts and to develop and 
               sustain a comprehensive regionwide strategy to protect and 
               grow the San Diego region's military assets.

               The San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation 
               estimates that 31,000 jobs in the San Diego region could be 
               lost as a result of cuts to the United States Department of 
               Defense budget.

               These cuts and immediate job losses will have long-range 
               effects, including decreased consumer spending due to new 
               economic uncertainty, loss of research and development 
               investment in innovative technologies in San Diego and the 
               state, and added disruption to the United States economy at 
               a critical point in our economic recovery at all levels?

               These cuts and immediate job losses will severely impact 
               the San Diego region's struggling economy?

          It is likely that on January 2, 2013, the U.S. Department of 
          Defense (DoD) budget will be drastically reduced.  The Balanced 
          Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 set deficit 
          targets. That law stipulated that if spending exceeded the 
          specified targets, a process known as sequester would go into 
          effect.  Last August, as part of a negotiated deal, Congress 
          agreed on $900 billion in spending cuts and the creation of the 
          Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the 
          "supercommittee").  The supercommittee was directed to create a 
          plan for $1.2 trillion more in deficit cuts over a decade.  If 
          the supercommittee failed, or if Congress rejected the panel's 
          recommendation, automatic spending cuts would start January 2, 
          2013.
           
          Because of the failure of the congressional supercommittee to 
          agree on a deficit reduction plan, the 2011 Budget Control Act 
          automatically cuts about $500 billion from the defense budget. 
          These cuts fall on top of $487 billion in DoD reductions. 

          Whether or not a strategy will emerge to avoid sequestration and 
          if not, what the effects of sequestration will be are 








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          speculative at this point.  However, sending a strong message 
          and taking a position of vigilance and concern about the DoD 
          budget is wise in the face of so much uncertainty.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    John Spangler/ V.A. / (916) 319-3550


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