DEAR COLLEAGUE: A Report on Consequences of Sequestration PDF Print

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.