Sequester: Navy shipyard faces layoffs, furloughs

After serving seven weeks in Congress,  an uncomfortable  Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., stood at the gate of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton at 5:30 on Friday morning as the $85 billion federal budget sequester kicked in, and talked to employees likely to get kicked in the teeth.

The freshman congressman was uncomfortable because House Speaker John Boehner has sent the House home — yet again — with the sequester taking effect and the federal government due to run out of money on March 27.

“We should be in Washington and stay in Washington until we get this done:  Sequestration was not the American people’s idea, it was Congress’ idea,” Kilmer said.

“The Department of Defense has said temporary employees will likely be let go,” said Kilmer.  “I had one woman come up to me and say, ‘There are 14 people in my unit, including 12 temporaries.  How do we get our workload done with just two people?”Kilmer represents the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Peninsula in Congress.  Kitsap County is home to the Trident base and the big naval shipyard.  The big federal presence on the Olympic Peninsula is Olympic National Park, one of the most visited of America’s “crown jewels.”

Read more at Seattle PI.