article_snippet: Despite the concerns of defense officials, lawmakers insisted that $10 billion will need to be cut from the Air Force's portion of the President's proposed budget, which, in total, exceeds spending caps by nearly $35 billion.
article_snippet: Cole, called the President's base budget "a fantasy" but expressed a desire to find a bipartisan compromise to provide some relief from spending caps instituted in 2013 after budget disagreements between President Obama and Congress.
article_snippet: Until a compromise is reached, Cole said the committee will have to make "a lot of tough decisions" related to cutting billions from the Air Forcespending request.
article_snippet: Then officials and lawmakers need to work out a budget and find a way to work within a budget.
highlights_snippet: $10 billion will need to be cut from the Air Force's portion of the President's proposed budget .
  
highlights_snippet: Rep. Tom Cole called the President's base budget "a fantasy"
  the Air Force's officials argue the Air Force's is currently older and smaller than the Air Force's has ever been .