Scale of sequestration cuts becomes clear as Obama attacks Republicans

Source: The guardian

The scale and reach of the sequestration spending cuts that will hit the US has been laid bare by government officials who warn that the order for the cuts, which was signed by president Barack Obama late Friday, would be "deeply destructive" to the economy and national security.

The Office of Management and Budget has compiled an official report on the breakdown of the $85bn cuts package, which was triggered by a failure to reach a broader political consensus on deficit reduction. The document reveals a detailed list of how the cuts will hurt spending at every level of government. It shows that research spending at the Department of Agriculture will be hit by $55m of cuts, while $150m will go from the immigration system at the Department of Homeland Security.

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On Saturday, Obama warned of a "ripple effect" through the American economy that would cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. Obama said the sequestration was "not smart". "The pain will be real," he said in his weekly address. "Many middle-class families will have their lives disrupted in a significant way."

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"It's happening because Republicans in Congress chose this outcome over closing a single wasteful tax loophole that helps reduce the deficit. Just this week, they decided that protecting special-interest tax breaks for the well-off and well-connected is more important than protecting our military and middle-class families from these cuts," Obama said.

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But on Saturday Republicans were still standing firm. In the party's own weekly address, the congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers attacked "out-of-control government spending" and said there was no point in new taxes, as the money would just be wasted.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/02/sequestration-cuts-barack-obama-republicans