US President Barack Obama delivers remarks joined by emergency responders to urge action to avoid the automatic budget cuts scheduled to hit next Friday if Congress fails to find a path forward on balanced deficit reduction during an event at the White House in Washington, DC, February 19, 2013. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
On Sunday, the White House continued its effort to prevent the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts known as “sequestration” from starting this Friday, releasing a dramatic state-by-state list of how they claim each state will be impacted if Congress fails to act.
It’s worth remembering that the “cut” is only to the projected increase in spending, not to what we are currently spending.
White House political director Dan Pfeiffer said on a call Sunday, according to the Hill, that the sequester is only going to happen if Republicans refuse to compromise.
He added: “Republicans are making a policy choice that these cuts are better for the economy than eliminating tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy.”
Republicans have countered by noting that the sequester was an idea originally pushed by the White House, and they have several times attempted to avert the cuts.
House Speaker John Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel said in a statement: “Republicans in the House have voted – twice – to replace President Obama’s sequester with smarter spending cuts. The White House needs to spend less time explaining to the press how bad the sequester will be and more time actually working to stop it.”
Either way, here’s what the White House claims will happen in each state if the sequester goes through (via the Wall Street Journal):
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
John McCain said on CNN’s State of the Union today that the across-the-board sequestration cuts are a “cowardly” way to tackle the budget, and the “worst” way to go about it:
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Comments (262)
chomok2000
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:57pmI was looking through some of the states and started thinking that this took a lot of time and effort to put this thing together. I wonder what would happen if Obama and the Democrats, instead of trying to scare everyone and blame everything on the Republicans, how about spend a little bit of time actually doing something. What has Obama done in over 4 years except blame everyone else for all of America’s problems. I heard on of his lackeys trying to blame Reagan for the mess we are in today. What a joke.
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Xanderson
Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:18amNo doubt! How many White House lawyers, and at how much per hour, did this cost the tax paying members of these states? More waste!!
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Al J Zira
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:54pmIsn’t this the guy who said he would cut wasteful spending? You mean he can’t find the majority of $85B in government waste? Here’s a start: Pelosi and her plane.
Fell free to add to the list.
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Al J Zira
Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:05amHow about $3B in aid to Pakistan or $2OOM to Syria. Hell, we spend $50B a year in foreign aid. I’m not saying we should cut all foreign aid but hey, tines are tough all over.
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spirited
Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:39amSince he’s made fund raising an art (ahem)
he ought to ask his
hollywood and green energy buddys, GE and mr. facebook to donate some cash to the US Fund.
There isn’t anything illegal about that.
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PFN
Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:43amRand Paul wants to stop giving aid to countries who burn our flag… I think that’s a great idea! Just send them a note with that old saying “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”!
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PFN
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:49pmIt’s all fear tactics for the grand charade. It is easier to control an ignorant and fearful populous than it is to control an informed and prepared one. None of this matters in the big picture, because the truth is that government spending is unsustainable. At the beginning of the year we were borrowing 46 cents of every dollar we spend. The FED is running the printing presses 24/7. The Executive Branch thinks it can spend it’s way to prosperity. The DHS is buying billions of bullets, and the police and military are purging their ranks. Ever heard of the Wymar Republic? Keiser Wilhelm thought that he could print his way out of debt. In just a few short years the cost of a loaf of bread went from a couple of Marks to BILLIONS of Marks. Hmmm… Sequester? Nah… economic collapse is more like it, and none of this will matter. Check out the DHS Operation Thunderdome if you want something to worry about….
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spfoam1
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:44pmI’m surprised twinkletoes doesn’t claim the sun won’t shine if the republicans don’t bow to his demands. Let the cuts begin. The gay Marxist and the communist democrats own the failed economy.
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LeadNotFollow
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:40pmJust more scare tactics, from the B. Hussein Obama administration.
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FANGS
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:39pmHey Obama, You’d better get used to Cuts. You’ve trampled our Constitution and Laws and now America is Pizzed. You and the Unions have Pillaged enough of our Savings. Now we won’t fund anything. Get that, Now Republicans won’t fund anything. You’ve allready called us demonds, Racists, fat cats, un American, Murderers greedy etc. So what do we care what You call us next. We’re Cutting all welfare spending,Bailouts,No more green energy scam money. We’re cutting everything. If You get in our way. You’ll be cut next.
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TJexcite
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:39pmWell when the cuts go thought the people would finally see just who how much the federal government has it hands on everything. It might wake some up. The school grounds keeper is not paid by the school district or city. They are paid from the federal government but the money has goes thought many hands before there account. The money comes from the federal treasury to the state treasury to the city treasure then to the school district and the School budget to pay the employee. The federal government has have been bailing out local city functions for decades by some new program to send the money under. They are not federal teachers, fire firefighter and police but they have been paid by the federal government to the city coffers for years and no one really knows that.
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Ghandi was a Republican
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:37pmSo— The White House has time to assess all these apocalyptic scenarios — but not a minute to look for any savings to fund the things they want to do.
Spend spend spend spend spend spend – Anything for a crisis..
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Xanderson
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:36pmLuckily there seem to be absolutely NO cuts to Mr. O’s personal needs, his access to unlimited Air Force 1 and 2 when and why ever he wants it. I did not read about ANY cuts to vacation funds available to the First Family, nor to their clothing and entertainment budgets. No West Wing belt-tightening of any kind! Yes, this looks to be quite the austerity plan indeed.
What a stinking load of crap! How is a slight decrease in the rate of increased spending a “cut” at all? How incredibly stupid do they think the American people are? Seriously, does anyone believe this nonsense?
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showmerancher
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:34pmAnd all this in spite of the fact that this year we’ll be spending more than last year… and will be spending $900 Billion more than we did in 2008? Face it, Obama is simply trying to terrorize Americans, and no doubt he’ll do some, perhaps all of these things just for spite. But that’s all it is. Simply a reflection of the kind of person he is.
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team1blazer
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:34pmBoehner caved on the debt ceiling, which brought us the sequestration (authored by the liar in chief). The answer should have been “SHUT IT DOWN!” Enough of this BS. Quit spending my grandkids money!
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showmerancher
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:46pmYes! And by the way, there is another Debt Ceiling increase that must be voted on in the next few weeks. We’ve got to demand significantly more cuts (remember, we’re currently spending $900 Billion more per year than Bush spent in 2008), probably on the order of $150 Billion/year for 10 years, and those cuts MUST occur BEFORE any Debt Ceiling increase. If not, shut it down. Enough is Enough!
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tomacz
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:34pmall 59 states,,(sob)
maybe rename us the UNITED STATES OF HINDENBERG
oh the humanity!!!!,sob
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spirited
Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:47am6^> 57 …..get it right.
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media-bias-steals-elections
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:33pmDire? Really? What about the “dire” need to remedy water pollution caused by GMO products?
You had the money? Farming is not in jeopardy by not using GMO products, that is a myth, and one of the reasons why the White House had a “garden”? Butchers are cutting open cattle that eat this stuff and noticing the differences compared to organic fed cattle (grass), the guts smell horrible, there are stomach ulcers and surrounding organs have a totally different color and hue?
Researchers are concerned about similar effects on humans, especially if the DNA of GMO products jumps to stomach bacteria? This is one of the reasons there is a national stockpile to treat several hundred thousand cases of botulism, for a “worse case scenario”?
The good news is the effects are reversable, this is just one of many scenarios where Democrats claim every thing is fine, but it really is not? Lets see, the guy that approved GMO works for the White House, and you got “Obama Care” health care to treat disease passed recently?
The two are not connected, you hope? You don’t want to find out, do you? Lets put a stop to GMO, please?
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spirited
Feb. 25, 2013 at 12:50amcorn…… high fructose……obseity…….diabetes …………………………………………………………………..
>”Let’s Move” (what a scam)
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Salamander
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:32pmOKAY, Mr. OBAMA, we get it! We’ve got to SEPARATE THE PIGGY FROM THE PIGGY BANK! Wasn’t THIS YOUR IDEA in the FIRST PLACE? The good that will come of this, is that we’ll have a taxpayer revolt! YOU’RE going to withhold OUR money????? Really?????
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tomacz
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:32pmmean among 2,500k federal paper pushers,& joao whutzizname the well paid brazilian dept of diversity mogul,dept of ag who never grew a cornstalk, dept of ed who never taught a kid one class in geografy ( never taught cpelligng eihter,,aint my fautl folsk) dept of energy that never made a 3oz can of 3 in one oil,a lousy 2 percent cut gonna send the rabbit & the control/yoke sabotogied c 130 inta the ground at 600 mph????ya know som’in..(chompchompmunchmunch,,nyahh,,,glp!,i tink weeda been beddah off electin elmah fudd tada ovil awoffice,,
whadda maroon
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LouisianaPatriot
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:32pmI am so ashamed of our Congress, and Supreme Court. I am enraged as well. These people sat in their various chambers and SOLD OUT the USA. Thank goodness for the handful of Liberty-minded Patriots who were elected. We must support them. Our lives depend on it.
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gauge
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:31pmGee, As a New Yorker……I got a smile on my face after reading everything that will be cut in New York.
How about we make it permanent? And add a few more?
On a side note……
I was walking my dog today across one of our local lakes, he tugged on the leash, and wouldn’t you know it, The leash was caught under my holster and it ripped my pistol off my hip and then it dropped onto the ice, it went off, blew a hole thru the ice, and for the life me I can’t find it. And last week, my Lee Enfield I was carrying on the roof of my car, blew off while driving a little faster than the speed limit. I’ll be darned if I know where that is now….
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Xanderson
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:51pmLOL! So sorry to hear of your losses :) I guess you won’t need to worry about registering them now!
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Salamander
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:30pmYou know, THIS SHOULD REALLY BACKFIRE on the Federal Government! Of course it is going to hurt, but SHAME ON US for letting OUR Federal Government play such a sleight-of-hand trick as to take so much money from us and then dribble it back for votes and favors! IF THEY PROCEED WITH THIS, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A TAX REVOLT! I’m NOT suggesting anyone break the law, but I am SUGGESTING WE VOTE IN EARNEST–AND EXPLAIN TO OUR NEIGHBORS how this SHELL GAME WORKS!
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LouisianaPatriot
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:28pmI’m fine with the “dramatic” Louisiana cuts. And just remember Barack Obama… this is on YOU. You are on the wrong side of history buddy.
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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:28pmLet it come, let Obama and the democrats own it.
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SandyfromChesterfield
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:27pmI am okay with doing without, aren’t you? We have all had to cut back because of the high price of Obama gas and food.
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For my Liberty!
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:27pmBring it ON! It is the ONLY way we are going to get them to slow down their spending..I just LOVE the funny math they use to say they have made CUTS..they have not cut a DAMN THING! at the RATE he is going…our Debt will be OVER 20 TRILLION when he leaves office! He will have DOUBLED IT! IMPEACH THE SOB!
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stopprintn
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:25pmI vote to ground Air Force 1 & 2, that would save a few bucks.
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imallthatsman
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:23pmWhat a ridiculous scare tactic! Obama needs to stop trying to fear monger the American People.
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Warriorswife
Feb. 24, 2013 at 11:22pmMy husband is in the Air National Guard. He was given notice that he will lose 10 hours work per week beginning March first due to sequestration. That’s funny, I didn’t catch anything in that state by state doc that would cut funding to Planned Parenthood. This is just another instance of the creep in the WH holding a gun to the head of the people to get what he wants from Congress.
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