DEAR COLLEAGUE: A Report on Consequences of Sequestration

October 9, 2012
Press Release
DEAR COLLEAGUE: A Report on Consequences of Sequestration

A Report from the House Appropriations Committee, Democrats

 

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS


 

OMB estimates that sequestration would require:

  • A reduction of 9.4%in 2013 for discretionary defense
  • A reduction of 8.2%in 2013 on discretionary non-defense

We estimate an additional reduction of 1.9% for defense to enforce the defense

non-defense firewall that goes into effect because of the failure of the Joint Select Committee.

If a balanced solution isn’t reached to address the fiscal cliff, CBO will overturn their forecast of steady growth for 2013, predicting another recession with a 9.1% unemployment rate. CRS estimates that the effect of sequestration alone would result in 1.4 million jobs lost in the same year.  

DEFENSE

  • Reducing Operations & Maintenance accounts will severely constrain resources for housing, training and equipping the troops.
  • The required reduction to Procurement accounts would slow plans to modernize the helicopter fleet, impair the fielding of electronic warfare capabilities, make it more difficult to avoid a carrier-based strike fighter shortfall, slow efforts to field new surveillance aircraft, and disrupt the schedule of military space launches. 
  • Although sequestration exempts military personnel, it would, however, reduce funding available for psychological health, traumatic brain injury, and suicide prevention activities as well as the Defense Health Program.

HOMELAND SECURITY

  • Over 24, 500 Homeland Security jobs lost including 3,400 Border Patrol agents, 3,400 Customs and Border Protection Officers and  7,200 Transportation Security Officers.

PUBLIC SAFETY

 

FAA:

  • 2,200 fewer employees at FAA’s air traffic organization, including air traffic controllers, technicians and support staff, likely reducing the number of flights per day.
  • Delay FAA’s NextGen air traffic control modernization program.

Food Safety:

  • Effectively unable to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act.
  • Fewer federal inspectors at slaughter and processing plants, requiring plant closures/reduced hours of operation. 

Department of Justice would have to eliminate 7,500 positions, including:

  • 3,000 FBI, DEA, ATF agents and US Marshals and 1,000 attorneys investigating terrorism, drug, gun-running and violent crime related prosecutions.
  • Furlough all remaining staff for 25 days.   

Bureau of Prisons:

  • 10% reduction of correctional officer positions and a furlough of all remaining staff for 30 days.
  • Likely result in unacceptably high inmate-to-staff ratio.

The Judiciary:

  • 5,400 fewer court staff through forced downsizing and/or furloughs.

National Weather Service:

  • Significant weather data gap of 2-4 years from polar-orbiting satellite, putting American communities at greater risk of major weather events.

Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Funds:

  • As many as 110 new local agreements would not be executed.
  • Loss of as many as 10,780 new jobs that would have been created building vital water infrastructure. 

 

PROTECTION OF FINANCIAL MARKETS

  • Major cutbacks at Securities and Exchange Commission would dramatically impact enforcement, examinations, and disclosure.
  • Cutting Commodity Futures Trading Commission staff would delay Industry registration applications and implementation of the landmark Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

  • 3 million fewer malaria treatments.
  • 2.5 million fewer women with access to family planning services.
  • 650,000 fewer students receiving basic education.
  • 270,000 fewer patients receiving HIV/AIDS medication.
  • 60,000 fewer tuberculosis treatments.

EDUCATION

  • 100,000 fewer children nationwide enrolled in Head Start.
  • 20,000 fewer Head Start employees.
  • 12,000 fewer special education teachers and aides due to reduction in Special Ed Grants. This would impact over 500,000 students with special needs. 
  • 16,000 fewer teachers and aides nationwide due to reduction in Title I Grants.
  • 4,300 fewer at-risk youth in Job Corps education and skills training program.

HEALTH, SCIENCE, AND INNOVATION

  • As many as 1,000,000 fewer patients served in Community Health Centers.
  • 2,400 fewer NIH research project grants.
  • As many as 45,000 fewer breast & cervical cancer screenings for low-income women.
  • 1,600 fewer NSF research and education grants, supporting 19,300 fewer researchers, students, and technical support staff.  

SAFETY-NET PROGRAMS

  • 900,000 participants dropped from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program.
  • 80,000 fewer low-income children would receive child-care.
  • 200,000 fewer participants in Section 8 housing, resulting in evictions.
  • 100,000 fewer people would be served by Homeless Assistance Grants, putting them on the streets.

CONGRESS & THE WHITE HOUSE

  • More than $100,000 reduction to each House Congressional Office.
  • Reduced travel, staff, and IT systems for the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, the Council of Economic Advisors, and the US Trade Representative’s office.

For more information about our releases, please contact 202-225-3481.

 

Issues: 
112th Congress