Sequester Watch: Washington Hold 'Em-politico: STATE OF PLAY: STATUS QUO, WITH A TWIST -- We still expect sequestration will begin to take effect on Friday and any real push to alter its effects to come after that. But talks about how to give the administration greater flexibility to apply the cuts are beginning to ramp up on both sides of the Capitol. We told you last week that discussions were ongoing on the House side about how to let the Pentagon prioritize better, and Senate Republicans are set to have a spirited debate about just that topic this week. We'll know more today as party caucuses in both chambers meet for the first time in more than a week. One reason that there's no rush to beat the deadline: The Draconian cuts the White House warns of won't all be felt immediately. Unlike a government shutdown, where furloughs are a matter of agencies not having the authority to spend money and they happen immediately, the sequestration cuts give agencies plenty of room to pick who works when. Some folks will end up taking a few unpaid Fridays off while others might have a week off next month. Easy to say if you're not facing down a furlough, but worth remembering as you analyze sequestration.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Sequester Watch: Washington Hold 'Em
Sequester Watch: Washington Hold 'Em-politico: STATE OF PLAY: STATUS QUO, WITH A TWIST -- We still expect sequestration will begin to take effect on Friday and any real push to alter its effects to come after that. But talks about how to give the administration greater flexibility to apply the cuts are beginning to ramp up on both sides of the Capitol. We told you last week that discussions were ongoing on the House side about how to let the Pentagon prioritize better, and Senate Republicans are set to have a spirited debate about just that topic this week. We'll know more today as party caucuses in both chambers meet for the first time in more than a week. One reason that there's no rush to beat the deadline: The Draconian cuts the White House warns of won't all be felt immediately. Unlike a government shutdown, where furloughs are a matter of agencies not having the authority to spend money and they happen immediately, the sequestration cuts give agencies plenty of room to pick who works when. Some folks will end up taking a few unpaid Fridays off while others might have a week off next month. Easy to say if you're not facing down a furlough, but worth remembering as you analyze sequestration.
