WASHINGTON (AP/WIS) - The White House has detailed the potential fallout
in each state from budget cuts set to take effect at week's end.
In South Carolina, approximately $12.5 million in funding for primary and secondary education would be lost, putting around 170 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition
about 15,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 30 fewer schools would receive funding, according to the White House.
In addition, approximately 11,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $59.5 million in total. Army and Air Force operation funding would be cut by about $81 million in South Carolina.
South Carolina will lose approximately $442,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events. In addition, the state will lose about $1 million in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 1400 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. And the South Carolina State Department of Health and
Environment will lose about $276,000 resulting in around 6,900 fewer HIV tests.
The White House has outlined all potential cuts here.
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On the same day the White House released its report, congressional Republicans and Democrats kept up the sniping over who's
to blame.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said on "Fox News
Sunday" that there was little hope to dodge the cuts "unless the
Republicans are willing to compromise and do a balanced approach."
No so fast, Republicans interjected.
"I think the American people are tired of the blame game," Sen. Kelly Ayotte, RN.H., said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Yet just a moment before, she was blaming President
Barack Obama for putting the country on the brink of massive spending
cuts that were initially designed to be so unacceptable that Congress
would strike a grand bargain to avoid them.
The $85 billion budget mechanism could affect
everything from commercial flights to classrooms to meat inspections.
With Friday's deadline nearing, few in the nation's capital were
optimistic that a realistic alternative could be found.
And, yes, those cuts will hurt.
They would slash from domestic and defense spending
alike, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of government
workers and contractors.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the cuts
would harm the readiness of U.S. fighting forces. Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood said travelers could see delayed flights. Education
Secretary Arne Duncan said 70,000 fewer children from low-income
families would have access to Head Start programs. And furloughed meat
inspectors could leave plants idled.
White House officials pointed to Ohio - home of
House Speaker John Boehner - as one state that would be hit hard: $25.1
million in education spending and another $22 million for students with
disabilities. Some 2,500 children from low-income families would also be
removed from Head Start programs.
Officials said their analysis showed Kentucky would
lose $93,000 in federal funding for a domestic abuse program, meaning
400 fewer victims being served in Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell's home state. Georgia, meanwhile, would face a $286,000 budget
cut to its children's health programs, meaning almost 4,200 fewer
children would receive vaccinations against measles and whooping cough.
The White House compiled its state-by-state reports
from federal agencies and its own budget office. The numbers reflect
the impact of the cuts this year. Unless Congress acts by Friday, $85
billion in cuts are set to take effect from March to September.
As to whether states could move money around to
cover shortfalls, the White House said that depends on state budget
structures and the specific programs. The White House did not have a
list of which states or programs might have flexibility.
Republican leaders were not impressed by the state-by-state reports.
"The White House needs to spend less time
explaining to the press how bad the sequester will be and more time
actually working to stop it," said Michael Steel, a spokesman for
Boehner.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press/WIS. All rights reserved.
