sequester

April 10, 2013

The across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration went into effect more than a month ago.  Some have been delayed—the Federal Aviation Administration announced it’s waiting until mid-June to close air traffic control towers around the country, including five in Maryland.  And the number of furlough days for civilian employees of the Department of Defense has been reduced by about a third.

House Speaker John Boehner says there is no easy way to stop the budget cuts -- known as the “sequester” -- that began taking effect Friday, and he voiced uncertainty about how Washington can solve the fiscal problems that have consumed the nation’s politics for more than two years. Sequester threatens nearly 50,000 jobs and many programs in Maryland. Andrea Seabrook, former NPR congressional correspondent and now the host of her podcast, DecodeDC, explains how this whole thing began and how it might end.

March 1, 2013

As you’ve been hearing all morning, today is March 1st – the day major across the board cuts known as sequestration are set to take effect.   President Obama is meeting with congressional leaders today in an effort to avoid the $85 billion in scheduled cuts.

Sheilah talks with Maryland’s only Republican Congressman, Andy Harris, who represents Maryland's 1st district, on the Eastern Shore.

In two days, 85 billion dollars is scheduled to be cut from federal spending, cuts known as ‘the sequester.’  In Maryland, that means lots of changes, from air traffic control towers shutting down,to thousands of defense employees being furloughed.  We talk about what to expect.

Some Maryland lawmakers want to expand the hours and number of sites for early voting in Maryland. Critics say Democratic-leaning areas get the most help. We’ll hear from both sides.

The series of federal budget cuts known as sequester are set to  begin on Friday effecting millions of Americans and threatening the jobs of nearly 50-thousand Maryland residents. We discuss the scope of sequester with our guests: Melissa Deckman, chair and professor of Political Science and the Louis L. Goldstein Professor of Public Affairs at Washington College and Barry Rascovar political columnist for the Gazette and a communications consultant.

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