The bulls eye in part could be on Defense Department civilian workers now that the White House has said it will exempt military personnel programs from sequestration cuts.

An Air Force Times article Tuesday said the announcement was contained in a letter to House and Senate leaders from the acting director of the White House budget office.

Cuts of $50 to $57 billion are expected in fiscal year 2012 if sequestration cuts begin in January as current law specifies.

The Budget Control Act of 2011 requires federal cuts of $1.2 trillion over the next ten years beginning in January if Congress does not reach a deficit agreement. Roughly half of the $1.2 trillion would come from national security accounts. President Obama has said he will veto any effort to repeal the legislation.

If military programs are exempted, every defense program would be cut 12 percent beginning in January, according to the Air Force Times article.

Both the U.S. Senate and House have passed bills requiring the White House to disclose details outlining how federal agencies will implement sequestration cuts. The White House announcement on military personnel impacts is at best only a partial answer to that requirement.

The Department of Labor ruled on Monday that federal law requiring workers to be warned of possible manpower cuts 60 days in advance did not apply to sequestration.

Critics have claimed the ruling came because warning letters would arrive Nov. 2, just four days before the presidential election date.