Leon Panetta says the days of booming growth and unlimited defense budgets are over. President Obama’s pick to lead the Pentagon is expected to easily win confirmation. Panetta is the outgoing head of the CIA; lawmakers praised him for the successful covert operation to kill Osama bin Laden. Senators grilled Panetta about soaring costs of weapons systems, but, Reuters reports, Panetta says that he doesn’t want the nation to have to choose between a strong defense and fiscal discipline. Lawmakers also questioned Panetta about what might happen next in Afghanistan. He says the decision on how many troops to pull out of that country will have to be made carefully.

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