Kline: “Better than even” chance of sequestration happening
Republican Congressman John Kline says looming across-the-board federal spending cuts could cost as many as 4,000 jobs in Minnesota. The cuts, known as sequestration, are scheduled to take effect on March first unless President Obama and House Republicans reach a different deal to fix the federal budget.
At a press briefing with reporters, Kline gauged the likelihood of the cuts occurring as "better than even."
He says House Republicans hope to cut $1.2 trillion in federal spending over the next ten years but he's opposed to doing it across-the-board.
"The trouble with sequestration is that there is no ability to set priorities," Kline said. "They just cut and so you can have very, very good programs that take a cut and a poor program that is executing poorly right next to it takes the same cut. We would rather have the ability to adjust those."
President Obama and House Republicans agreed in 2011 to the across the board spending cuts as a way to force an overall deficit reduction plan.
Since then they have failed to reach a concensus on the idea.
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