This week, Congress has a choice: allow damaging across-the-board budget cuts, or work in a bipartisan way to achieve a balanced compromise that makes smarter, targeted spending cuts.
As the hours tick toward today’s deadline for the automatic sequester cuts, partisan political games are still drowning out common sense, compromise solutions. Meanwhile, federal agencies are bracing for indiscriminate furloughs and program cuts that would deal a serious blow to our economic recovery.
kAmrFEE:?8 DA6?5:?8 H:E9 2 >62E 4=62G6C :? E9:D 64@?@>J ;FDE 5@6D?’E >2<6 D6?D6] %92E’D H9J x’> 42==:?8 @? >J 4@==628F6D E@ 4FE E96 567:4:E :? H2JD E92E 5@ >2<6 D6?D6[ H:E9 :562D E92E 92G6 3:A2CE:D2? DFAA@CE 2?5 42? 24EF2==J A2DD]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 7:CDE E9:?8D H6 D9@F=5 =@@< E@ 4FE :D E96 3:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD :? E2IA2J6C 92?5@FED :? E96 5:C64E A2J>6?E 28C:4F=EFC6 DF3D:5J AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAms:C64E A2J>6?ED 2C6 DF3D:5:6D A2:5 6G6CJ J62C E@ 72C>6CD[ C682C5=6DD @7 72C>:?8 4@?5:E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 :? 8@@5 E:>6D @7 9:89 4@>>@5:EJ AC:46D] x? >2?J 42D6D[ E96J’C6 A2:5 E@ 72C>6CD 7@C 4C@AD E96J’C6 ?@E 6G6? 8C@H:?8] $@>6E:>6D E96J’C6 6G6? A2:5 E@ ?@?\72C>6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 |:DD@FC: 72C>6CD x’G6 E2=< E@ 5@?’E H2?E @C ?665 E9:D 92?5@FE — E96D6 DF3D:5:6D ;FDE 42?’E 36 ;FDE:7:65] %96J’C6 2 DEC:<:?8 6I2>A=6 @7 8@G6C?>6?E H2DE6 E92E H6 42??@E 277@C5 :? 7:D42==J 4@?DEC2:?65 E:>6D] p?5 H92E @FC 72C>6CD C62==J ?665 :D 2 u2C> q:== E92E AC@E64ED E96> H96? 5:D2DE6C DEC:<6D[ =:<6 E96 56G2DE2E:?8 5C@F89E H6 6IA6C:6?465 ;FDE =2DE DF>>6C]k^Am
kAm%92E’D H9J x :?EC@5F465 3:A2CE:D2? =68:D=2E:@? =2DE H66<[ 2=@?8 H:E9 $6?] y677 u=2<6[ #\pC:K][ E92E H@F=5 7:?2==J 6?5 E96 5:C64E A2J>6?E AC@8C2>[ D2G:?8 E2IA2J6C 5@==2CD 2?5 C65F4:?8 E96 567:4:E]k^Am
kAm(6’G6 D66? DEC@?8 3:A2CE:D2? DFAA@CE 7@C 6=:>:?2E:?8 5:C64E A2J>6?ED 7@C J62CD[ 2?5 =2DE J62C[ E96 $6?2E6 G@E65 @G6CH96=>:?8=J H:E9 DFAA@CE 7C@> 3@E9 A2CE:6D 7@C 2 u2C> q:== C6?6H2= E92E H@F=5 92G6 6=:>:?2E65 E96D6 DF3D:5:6D] ':CEF2==J 6G6CJ >2;@C 28C:4F=EFC6 :?5FDECJ =6256C[ 2?5 72C>6CD 2?5 C2?496CD 24C@DD @FC 4@F?ECJ[ DFAA@CE65 E96 $6?2E6 u2C> q:==] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ E96 &]$] w@FD6 C67FD65 E@ 24E[ =6EE:?8 E9:D =68:D=2E:@? 5:6[ 2?5 D@ 5:C64E A2J>6?E DF3D:5:6D =:G6 @?]k^Am
kAm(:E9 C62=\=:76 4@?D6BF6?46D ;FDE 9@FCD 2H2J[ E96C6’D ?@ C62D@? H6 42?’E E2<6 E9:D 4@>>@?D6?D6 DE6A 2?5 6=:>:?2E6 Sag]d 3:==:@? :? H2DE6]k^Am
kAmxE >2<6D ?@ D6?D6 E@ <:4< 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 49:=5C6? @77 @7 w625 $E2CE[ @C =2J @77 E62496CD[ D@ E92E H6 42? 4@?E:?F6 DA6?5:?8 3:==:@?D @? 2 5:C64E A2J>6?E AC@8C2> E92E 6G6? 28C:4F=EFC6 :?5FDECJ =6256CD C67FD6 E@ 5676?5]k^Am
kAmr@?8C6DD 92D E@ 564:56i AC@E64E @FC 64@?@>J[ <66A p>6C:42?D 7C@> =@D:?8 E96:C ;@3D 2?5 C65F46 E96 567:4:E — @C 4@?E:?F6 2 72C> DF3D:5J AC@8C2> 3@E9 A2CE:6D 28C66 D9@F=5 6?5]k^Am
