Video: More Federal Cuts

[bitsontherun Wyo0U9Oc]

WASHINGTON D.C., (WCBI) – Automatic government budget cuts are expected to kick in March if Washington can’t come to an agreement to avoid a fiscal cliff.

It’s an issue that has many concerned about future programs and what it will mean in terms of job loss.

It’s a lot to navigate through but I can tell you agencies across the board are gearing up for the worst. By law sequestration will take affect March 1st with cuts on government spending on everything from defense to education.

According to one study, If the automatic budget cuts kick in Mississippi stands to lose close to 12 thousand jobs, which translate to close to $600 million in state revenue.

Some of the biggest cuts in education will deal with grants that pay for improving teacher quality, educational opportunities as well as community learning centers just to name a few.

But the biggest department to be affected by the cuts will be the defense department at close to $46 billion.

The Columbus Air Force Base is bracing for those cuts. Congress said 800,000 civilian employees will be furloughed without pay one a week for 22 weeks.

472 of those are right here at home. I was able to speak with Colonel Jim Sears of the 14th Flying Wing Command who shed some light on what we can expect.

Col. Jim Sears of the 14th Flying Wing Command says, “At this time I expect every appointed fund civilian at CAFB to be affected in some way by the furlough at this time. We haven’t planned how much or how it will be conducted.”

 Universities and their research programs could also stand to lose close to $3.7 million in funding if an agreement isn’t made.

Categories: Local News

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *