Juan Pablo Rivera Garza
Blogs Editor
Sequestration is an event some have compared to economic calamity unseen since the ’08-’07 market bust. For the past few weeks the President and his allies (primarily members of his cabinet) have hammered the Republican leadership for a perceived “lack of cooperation” to resolve the sequestration. But are all these claims just hyperbole? Are they an attempt by the President and his allies to gain a political advantage over the already bloodied Republicans? Here’s what you need to know:
Is it going to be bad?
In a word, yes. The Sequester will cause delays in airports dues to cuts to the TSA and air-traffic controllers. It will could also lead to the dismissal of 40,000 teachers throughout the country. Not to mention the brutal cuts to defense that will leave many jobs in question.
There is no doubt that contracted government spending will cause an economic disturbance, and the sequester has the potential of causing a new recession. But, that is under the assumption that it will continue to be in place throughout the fiscal year. If Republicans and Democrats make a deal soon, then the sequester will not cause as much damage as it could if left alone. This depends entirely upon the actions of Congress and the President.
Who’s fault is it?
As I mentioned previously, the President and his fellow Democrats have waged a brutal campaign against Republicans in an attempt to place the blame on them. In all reality, their assertions are untrue. As Bob Woodward reported in his book “Obama’s Wars,” the idea for sequestration came from the White House itself.
Alongside that piece of evidence also lies the inability of the President and his allies in Congress to actually work out a compromise. In the run up to sequestration, little to no attempts were made by the President to reach out to Republicans. At the same time, Republicans in Congress are not at all innocent. Just recently Speaker Boehner announced that he would no longer negotiate with the President directly, yet another slap to any bipartisan compromise.
Where do we go from here?
The coming months of sequestration will prove to be essential for the future of bipartisanship. The actions of President Obama and congressional Republicans will determine whether or not our country’s economy will recover or suffer a double-dip recession. The decision to govern is in their hands, and ultimately a better working relationship is vital to the end of the sequester. If nothing is done, then all parties involved will lose a massive amount of support.
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