Hagel: Pentagon Furloughs Not as Bad

Temporary layoffs in the Defense Department, trigger by sequestration, will probably be shorter than feared this year.

FOX News Radio’s Steve Taylor has details from Washington:

Mandatory Federal budget cuts will mean most of the Pentagon’s nearly 800,000 civilian employees will have unpaid leave this year, but Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says:

(Sec. Hagel) “We are gonna be able to reduce and delay these furloughs.”

Hagel says because of a short-term budget deal between Congress and the White House, Pentagon workers probably will lose 14 work days instead of 22.  Hagel adds that the department also faces “significant” cuts in defense operations.

In Washington, Steve Taylor, FOX News Radio.