February 14, 2013

Rep. Takano: House Republican Leadership is Stalling on Sequestration Negotiations

Washington DC – Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) released the following information on the impact the drastic, across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration would have on our nation and the Inland Empire:

The Economy
  • The Congressional Budget Office projects sequestration would cut economic growth in 2013 by half.
  • George Mason University estimated a loss of 2.14 million jobs nationally, half of which would come from small businesses.
  • An estimated 10 percent of the FAA’s Air Traffic Controllers would be furloughed, resulting in longer delays and reduced air traffic control.
  • 25,000 fewer breast and cervical cancer screenings for low-income women.
National Defense
  • Pentagon operating budgets would be slashed by 20%.
  • Department of Homeland Security First Responder Grants would be cut by $120 million.
  • Training flying hours would be cut by potentially 18 percent for March Joint Air Reserve Base, leading to degradation of key capabilities.
  • Cuts to March Field Facilities, Sustainment, Restoration and Maintenance contracts, which would lead to infrastructure degradation and lost business for local contractors.
Education
  • Head Start would have its funding cut by nearly $50 million state-wide, affecting over 5,000 students and potentially costing over 1,700 jobs.
  • Over $85 million would be cut to local educational agencies, costing nearly 850 jobs state-wide.
  • Nearly $63 million in special education grants would be cut state-wide, costing over 600 jobs.
Rep. Takano spoke on the findings saying, “Sequestration was never meant to be implemented. Its purpose was to be so painful that both sides of the aisle would be forced to reach a balanced and bipartisan solution. Unfortunately, many Republicans now favor these drastic cuts that many economists have said would cost us 1-2 million jobs nationally. With March Joint Air Reserve Base, home of the Air Force Reserve Command’s largest air mobility wing, and an unemployment rate higher than the national average, the Inland Empire simply cannot afford these cuts to take effect.
 
To make matters worse, the House Republican Leadership is stalling on the negotiations, opting to recess all of next week, instead of working on a deal.
 
Time is running out. I urge the House Republican Leadership to bring the House back to Washington so we can avoid sequestration and harm to our economic recovery.”
 
During the Debt Ceiling negotiations in 2011, Congress and President Obama agreed on increasing the debt ceiling in exchange for $2.4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years, with $1.2 trillion in spending cuts laid out in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The other $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction was to be determined by the United States Congress Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, otherwise known as the “Super Committee”. Upon the Super Committee’s failure to reach an agreement, drastic automatic across-the-board cuts (including defense and entitlements), known as “sequestration”, are due to take effect on March 1.