Skift Take
It's not just the threat of airport delays that will harm the travel industry, but the promise of cuts that will keep people at home or out of the country all together that will have a domino effect -- even if the problem is solved quickly.
U.S. lawmakers have four days to avoid the start of across-the-board government spending cuts, known as sequestration. So far, there is little indication that President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans will reach an agreement this week.
Here are questions and answers about the cuts and where talks stand:
What is sequestration?
It’s the official name for the automatic federal spending cuts that will begin March 1. Sequestration will reduce projected spending by $85 billion over the final seven months of this fiscal year and by $1.2 trillion over the next nine years. Half of the cuts will affect defense spending; the remainder will be spread over other federal agencies.
Why has Congress come so close to the deadline?
Lawmakers can’t agree on how to prevent sequestration from starting.
Will there be immediate effects on March 1?
Probably not, in many cases. Agencies have had five months -- since the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1 -- to plan for changes, so the effects may be gradual. That makes sequestration different from a partial government shutdown like the ones that occurred in 1995 and 1996.
What are the consequences for government services?
Under sequestration, the Pentagon would furlough up to 800,000 civilian employees, requiring them to take unpaid time off. Employees must be given 30 days’ notice. Cuts at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration could mean delays at airports. Spending on child nutrition and h
