March Toward Sequestration

By Bill O'Neil
 

 

The countdown toward Sequestration continues--along with the back and forth across the political aisle in Capitol Hill in Washington.
We've certainly heard plenty about the potential impacts that may come with the automatic federal budget cuts that are due to arrive Friday.
"159,000 jobs lost. More than 16,000 Air Force personnel furloughed--hurting Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio and Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio" Congressman Pete Gallego said during a speech on the House Floor Tuesday.
 

"Here and now in Washington, many folks are more focused on who's to blame for the Sequester than in trying to do anything about it" Gallego said--expressing frustration over the lack of a scheduled vote on addressing the cuts--and reducing their impact. Across the aisle, the number two Republican in the U.S. Senate sees a lot more being made of the cuts than needs to be.
 

"It strikes me as a lot of hystrionics and a lot of drama" Texas Senator John Cornyn said, adding "The Sequestor is going to happen." The Senator blames the President's approach to the situation for making it much worse than it really has to be.

"Part of the reason it will be more disruptive than it needed to be is because basically by all of his (President Barack Obama's) comments and body language said you don't need to prepare for it" Cornyn said.
Ultimately, the Senator said, the cuts can be absorbed--but there should be more discretion in how they are applied--as opposed to across the board slashes.
 

photos: ktsa.com; democrats.budget.house.gov