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PA Budget Debate

Sequestration Cuts to be Triggered on Friday

Congress still has a few days to act, but compromise on a federal deficit-reduction plan appears to be less likely by the hour.  Radio PA’s Matt Paul caught up with US Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Tuesday, to discuss the so-called sequester:SEQUESTER

US Senator Bob Casey

US Senator Bob Casey

Casey’s reference to 78,000 lost jobs in the Keystone State is based on a 2012 study from George Mason University.  The other consequences Casey alludes to are largely based on data released by the White House this week. 

Senate Democrats’ revenue-raising plans would target the wealthy, but Republicans in Congress believe the savings must be accomplished through spending reductions.  Last session, the GOP-controlled House passed two measures, which Speaker John Boehner called “smarter cuts.”

Sequestration Cuts Loom Friday in Washington…and in PA

Little, if any, progress is being reported out of the talks to head off those automatic spending cuts known as “sequestration.” Without a deal between Congress and President Obama, the cuts kick in on Friday.

The latest salvo in the war for public opinion and support comes from The White House, as the administration released a state-by-state report on the impacts of sequestration. Among the expected casualties for Pennsylvania:

  • $26.4 million in funding for primary and secondary education
  • $21.4 million in funding for education of students with disabilities
  • 26,000 civilian military job furloughs
  • Elimination of Head Start services for about 2,300 children
  • $5.7 million in environmental funding
  • Additional cuts in funding for public health, child care, job search assistance, law enforcement and more