1. What is sequestration?
A: Sequestration is a fiscal policy procedure adopted by Congress to deal with the federal budget deficit. Simply put, sequestration is the cancellation of previously approved spending— an automatic form of spending cuts. As modified by the fiscal cliff deal passed by Congress January 1, sequestration will take effect March 1, 2013 but impose cuts over a period of nine years, 2013–2021.
Some federal programs are called “mandatory” and are mostly spared from sequestration. However, the rest of the government, the so-called “discretionary” programs, are subject to significant cuts starting in 2013 that will be divided between nondefense spending ($700 billion) and defense spending ($500 billion).
2. Why is sequestration happening now?
A: A law passed by Congress and signed by the president in August 2011 created a Congressional supercommittee to deal with the federal budget deficit and pass a package of spending cuts by Thanksgiving.
As an incentive for Democrats and Republicans to reach agreement, the law contains the threat of the across-the-board cuts (sequestration) if the deadline arrived and the deal wasn’t struck. Congress failed to reach agreement, thus triggering sequestration in January 2013.
3. Can sequestration be stopped?
A: Yes. Although sequestration is the law right now, Congress can pass another law that would repeal it. However, additional spending cuts would most likely be required to replace the automatic cuts. Last year, the House and Senate proposed legislation that would have replaced the sequester, but would also have imposed dramatically deeper cuts to education and all other nondefense discretionary programs.
For example, a House-passed Republican bill would have prevented any cuts to defense by increasing the cuts to domestic programs, including education, by $19 billion. The president’s FY13 budget proposal also would have eliminated the need for sequestration by reducing government spending in most areas (although it proposed a slight increase in education spending).
4. What can I do?
A: Send messages to your senators and representative urging them to repeal sequestration. First, use the Sequestration Effect Calculator on the sequestration page to determine the dollar amount of cuts that your school budget or programs will face if sequestration is not repealed.
Then, go to the Action Center and use the figure generated by the calculator to customize the e-mail message to your lawmakers.
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