Much attention has been paid recently to a series of budget cuts that have been named the “Sequester,” but what exactly is this Sequester doing to or for our country? In dictionary terms, to sequester is to confiscate, and as you’ll see, beginning from its implementation on March 1st, we will begin to feel the affects of many un-targeted budget cuts. In a “New York Times” article entitled “The Real Cost of Shrinking Government,” the author explains that the idea to cut billions of dollars almost randomly from many important government sectors is the result of a Republican bid to shrink the size of government. A different article, a Q & A on the cuts by Jonathan Weisman, claims that Democrats wanted a mix of tax raises and budget cuts, but the Republicans compromised on military cuts and President Obama signed this act supported mostly by Republicans. Regardless of its reason for initiation, in February, Democrats in the Senate proposed a new plan to block the sequester which supported more targeted cuts and a tax increase on individuals who make $1 million or more each year; this plan was immediately declined by Republicans.
What exactly is affected by these recent major cuts? The March 1st deadline was the start of $85 billion in budget cuts, both domestically and within the military; however, this is the start of $1 trillion in cuts over the next decade. Some of the most shocking numbers are decreases in food safety, the jeopardizing of young students success and teachers’ jobs, risk of homelessness for families being helped with their rent, thousands of mentally ill patients losing access to treatment, and several military and security related reductions. It is possible for the sequester to end if both parties are able to collaborate to make a new deal, but with Democrats pushing a raise in taxes on the rich and Republicans wanting to cut so-called “mandatory” programs like food stamps, Medicaid and children’s health insurance, we are not likely to avoid the cuts soon.