James Comey in the White House Rose Garden as President Obama nominates him for the top FBI post on June 21. Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
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sequestration
FBI Director James Comey is pictured earlier this month during his swearing-in ceremony at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption
Newly minted FBI Director James Comey speaks at a swearing-in ceremony last week at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption
In May, the Housing and Urban Development agency closed for a day, as employees were placed on furlough. The HUD and other agencies were reportedly forced to take a fraction of the furlough days that had been threatened earlier in 2013. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption
Samuel Richard Rubin, head of the federal defender's office in Idaho, says his office "has an obligation to handle 75 percent of the [federal] indigent cases" in the state. John Miller/AP hide caption
The control tower at Troutdale Airport in Troutdale, Ore., one of the towers slated for closure. Don Ryan/AP hide caption
The White House: When night falls, it looks like the "sequester" will arrive. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA /LANDOV hide caption
Under sequestration, federal agencies don't have the flexibility to choose to spare popular programs or services by making administrative cuts elsewhere. Tatiana Popova/iStockphoto.com hide caption
On Tuesday, President Obama urged congressional action to prevent automatic spending cuts scheduled to begin on March 1. Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Landov hide caption
President Obama, accompanied by emergency responders — workers the White House says could be affected if state and local governments lose federal money as a result of budget cuts — speaks in the Eisenhower Executive Office building in Washington on Tuesday. Charles Dharapak/AP hide caption
Spending cuts that are part of the looming sequester could cause big job losses in defense and other industries. U.S. Navy/Getty Images hide caption