As President Obama launched a last-ditch effort to persuade congressional Republicans to stop $85 billion in automatic budget cuts set to begin March 1, the White House issued a report on how the cuts will affect each of the 50 states.
The impending automatic budget cuts – or sequestration— threatens “hundreds of thousands of middle class jobs," as well as "vital services for children, seniors, people with mental illness, and our men and women in uniform," states an introduction to the White House’s state-by-state spending cut analysis.
The Obama administration has been opposed to the automatic cuts, but has been unable to reach a deal with the Republican controlled House. Both Senate and House proposals to avoid the sequester, some of them dating back to 2012, have meet gridlock, with both sides refusing to budge on increasing tax revenues and reducing federal spending, respectively.
Each state faces spending cuts in numerous areas, according to the state by state analysis issued by the White House, including education, law enforcement, public health, military and more. Many states would see a significant portion of federal military funds cut, forcing a high number of civilian defense furloughs and cuts to armed services funding. We’ve compiled a list of the some of the biggest.
Maryland
In Maryland, about 46,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed. The Army, Air Force and Navy in the state would suffer cuts as well, with the Army’s operation funding cut by $95 million and Air Force operations cut by $10 million. The Navy would face $9 million in funding cuts for a demolition project in Patuxent River and aircraft depot maintenance in Patuxent River could be canceled, as well as the Blue Angels shows in Annapolis and Ocean City.
Washington, D.C.
The District of Columbia would be forced to furlough approximately 13,000 civilian defense employees, which would reduce gross pay by about $111.3 million.
Virginia
Virginia would furlough 90,000 civilian defense workers at a gross pay reduction of around $648.4 million. Virginia’s Army would see $146 million cut and its Air Force operations cut by nearly $8 million. The Navy in Virginia would cancel the maintenance of 11 ships in Norfolk, defer four projects at Dahlgren, Oceana, and Norfolk, and delay other modernization and demolition projects.
California
The civilian defense furloughs in California would be about 64,000, reducing gross pay by around $399.4 million. Army base operation funding would be cut by $54 million and Air Force operations in California would be cut by about $15 million. The Navy would cancel the maintenance and repair of five ships in San Diego and aircraft depot maintenance in North Island.
Alabama
Alabama would furlough about 27,000 civilian defense workers, at a gross pay total of about $176.9 million. The Army base funding would be cut by $91 million and Air Force operations in the state would be cut by $8 million.
North Carolina
North Carolina would see approximately 22,000 civilian Department of Defense furloughed at a $117.5 million in gross pay. The Army would see spending cuts of about $136 million, the Air Force would have $5 million in cuts and the Navy would cancel aircraft depot maintenance in Cherry Point, N.C.
