Norquist says gut defense, Republican Communist Party rebels

WASHINGTON (CNN)
Top Senate Republicans unveiled a proposal Thursday to replace looming across-the-board budget cuts, most notably to the Pentagon, with new restrictions on both the compensation to and size of the federal work force.

The mandatory cuts are a consequence of the failure of Congress' so-called super committee in November.

Under an agreement that set up the special joint congressional panel, automatic across-the-board spending cuts of more than $1 trillion will begin in 2013 because the committee was unable to reach agreement on a broad deficit reduction plan.Orlando