""On January 3, virtually all contractors will be working on projects that were already funded," Harrison says. "That money’s not being cut. It's only new money."
So what's the point of playing the layoff card now?
"It looks a little bit like a scare tactic," says Fordham law professor James Brudman. "I mean, it could be construed as political brinksmanship."
In other words, contractors want to pressure Congress to cut a budget deal, step away from the cliff, and preserve defense spending.
Brudman warns it could backfire on the companies internally.
"To the extent you’re creating significant fear among your workforce, when only a very small percentage, if any, will lose their jobs," he says. "That's a blow to morale."
Harrison notes if workers don’t understand the politics of the warnings, they could get the wrong idea, dust off their resumes, and bolt anyway. And the best talent, he says, tends to get lured away first. "
http://www.wypr.org/news/defense-layoffs-or-bluff
EDIT: lets not forget the gops openly willing to destroy economy to discredit obama