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The Sequester: Cuts And Consequences A look at the consequences of the across-the-board federal spending cuts set to go into effect March 1.
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The Sequester: Cuts And Consequences

A look at the consequences of the across-the-board federal spending cuts set for March 1.
Sequester Has Air Force Clipping Its Wings

To save money, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina is keeping some of its pilots out of the sky. Airman 1st Class Aubrey White/U.S. Air Force hide caption

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Airman 1st Class Aubrey White/U.S. Air Force

Sequester Has Air Force Clipping Its Wings

Automatic budget cuts have pushed Air Force bases to slash their flying budgets even though it means grounding pilots and reducing readiness. The cancellations are boosting the arguments of those who want the military excepted from sequestration cuts.

Flight Delays Push Congress To End Controller Furloughs

Travelers stand in line at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday. Congress moved quickly this week to give the Federal Aviation Administration flexibility to end air traffic controller furloughs that resulted in flight delays at several airports. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

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Damian Dovarganes/AP

Flight Delays Push Congress To End Controller Furloughs

Delays at the nation's airports surged this week because the Federal Aviation Administration furloughed air traffic controllers to stay within a reduced budget. Now Congress has voted quickly to give the FAA more spending flexibility to reduce staff cutbacks.

Airport Delays Raise Questions About Controller Furloughs

Passengers check their flight status at Los Angeles International airport on Monday. The FAA said staffing cuts were causing delays in the Eastern U.S. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

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Damian Dovarganes/AP

Airport Delays Raise Questions About Controller Furloughs

Some travelers faced delays Monday as furloughs of air traffic controllers began taking effect. Thanks to mandated federal budget cuts, the furloughs can't be avoided, the Federal Aviation Administration says. But critics want the Obama administration to cut some other part of the budget instead.

Worst-Case Avoided: Few Airports Link Delays To FAA Furloughs

An American Airlines passenger is helped at the ticket counter at Miami International Airport last week. Many airline industry observers expect delays to strike Monday, the first full day of FAA furloughs. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Worst-Case Avoided: Few Airports Link Delays To FAA Furloughs

Impact from the furloughs has been neither extreme nor widespread, with busy airports in Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles reporting no or few delays as of early Monday afternoon. New York's three big airports experienced delays, but the longest holdups were blamed on high winds and maintenance work.

Sequester Uncertainty Surrounds Section 8 Housing Program

Members of the American Federation of Government Employees protest mandatory federal budget cuts during a rally March 20 in Washington, D.C. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

It's All Politics

Sequester Uncertainty Surrounds Section 8 Housing Program

For agencies administering the low-income housing program, mandated federal budget cuts are forcing cutbacks on several fronts. But some of the belt tightening is yet to come.

Sequester Scorecard: A Month Later, Effects Still Up In Air

The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels soar over the Florida Keys during a March 23 air show. The group has canceled several air shows in April and May, reportedly owing to budget cuts. Getty Images hide caption

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Getty Images

It's All Politics

Sequester Scorecard: A Month Later, Effects Still Up In Air

Automatic federal budget cuts that kicked in March 1 have had little initial impact in many parts of the government. In a few programs, however, the effect has been real and painful as the government has begun cutting $85 billion from its spending through the end of September.

In Solidarity With Furloughed Workers, Obama Will Give Up 5 Percent Of His Salary

U.S. President Barack Obama greets newly sworn in United States citizens during a naturalization ceremony in the East Room of the White House on March 25, 2013 in Washington. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Two-Way

In Solidarity With Furloughed Workers, Obama Will Give Up 5 Percent Of His Salary

Obama's move comes a day after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced he was cutting his pay. The moves put pressure on other cabinet members to follow suit.

'Unprecedented': Budget Cuts Could Hit Some Airport Towers

A statue of golf legend Arnold Palmer stands outside Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa. Brian Naylor/NPR hide caption

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Brian Naylor/NPR

It's All Politics

'Unprecedented': Budget Cuts Could Hit Some Airport Towers

Nearly 200 smaller airports, including Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa., are set to have their control towers closed this year as the FAA makes sequestration cuts. Although commercial flights will continue, some say safety is a concern.

With Budget Cuts For Ports, Produce May Perish

Lanes of trucks wait to cross the border from Mexico into Nogales, Ariz. Fallout from the sequester could increase wait times for perishable cargo. Ted Robbins/NPR hide caption

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Ted Robbins/NPR

With Budget Cuts For Ports, Produce May Perish

Nogales, Ariz., is home to one of the nation's busiest ports of entry. Trucks line up for inspection before heading to grocery stores in the U.S. But the sequester is forcing the ports to make cuts, leading some to fear higher prices for food and strained relationships with foreign trading partners.

Sequestered Spring Means Fewer Rangers, Services At National Parks

Hikers walk on the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall at Yosemite National Park in California. The National Park Service has to cut $134 million from sites around the country, including Yosemite, due to the lack of a budget deal in Congress. Gosia Wozniacka/AP hide caption

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Gosia Wozniacka/AP

Sequestered Spring Means Fewer Rangers, Services At National Parks

Early March is when Yosemite National Park officials would normally be gearing up for the busy tourist season. Instead, they're figuring out how to cut $1.5 million from their budget because of the recent sequestration that forced across-the-board cuts. The National Park Service must now cut $134 million from sites around the country.

Old Triumph Over Young In Federal Spending, And Sequester Makes It Worse

Federal spending on seniors already far outpaces that devoted to children. Last year, overall spending on children dropped for the first time in 30 years. The sequester, which expressly protects programs for the elderly, will exacerbate that difference. Anne de Haas/iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Anne de Haas/iStockphoto.com

Old Triumph Over Young In Federal Spending, And Sequester Makes It Worse

For years, federal programs for seniors and those that help kids have been on a collision course. Now, the moment for real competition may have arrived with the sequestration's automatic spending cuts. While Social Security and Medicare will be largely untouched, programs helping kids could lose billions.

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