The federal government has enacted $85 billion in automatic spending cuts, known as the sequester, that will impact everything from the economy and education to the military and public health.
With Congress unable to reach a last minute agreement to prevent the sequester, President Obama signed an order Friday night authorizing the cuts, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.
In his weekly address, Obama said, "Because Republicans in Congress refused to compromise to close tax loopholes for the wealthiest Americans, hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose their jobs or see their paycheck reduced, and middle class families will be hurt," according to the White House.
The president said the spending cuts will "cause a ripple effect across the economy that would worsen the longer they stay in place," reported the Huffington Post.
With more than 750,000 jobs on the line, the sequester is expected to hit the middle class hard, reported Patch.
Federal employees will also be greatly affected. The spending cuts have the potential to affect more than 4,200 federal employees working in Lake County, reported Patch.
The White House has released reports detailing how each state would be impacted by a sequester.
In Illinois, the following areas are expected to be affected just this year:
- Teachers and schools: $33.4 million
- Work-study jobs
- Head Start
- Protection for clean air and clean water: $6.4 million overall and $974,000 in grants for fish and wildlife protection.
- Military readiness: $83.5 million reduction in gross pay as a result of 14,000 civilian DOD employees being furloughed.
- Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds for Crime Prevention and Prosecution: $587,000
- Job Search Assistance to Help those in Illinois find Employment and Training: $1.4 million
- Child care
- Vaccines for children: $357,000
- Public health: $4.6 million
- Stop violence against women programs: $273,000
- Nutrition assistance for seniors: $764,000
Related:
- Sequestration Budget Cuts Data: How Many Federal Employees will be Affected in Lake County?
- Federal Spending Cuts Would Greatly Impact Illinois' Middle Class
- Schakowsky, Schneider Urge Sequester Action