Before the Budget Control Act was passed in August, the act of being sequestered would have typically referred to a jury in a public trial that has been isolated to avoid being prejudiced by media coverage.
On May 10, the majority party attempted to sacrifice the broad role of the federal government in improving the lives of low- and middle-income American families in order to spare the Department of Defense from the effects of sequestration for one year.
The first responsibility of the United States government is to provide for the common defense — protecting the safety and liberty of American citizens from threats at home and abroad.
The current political environment and fiscal challenges in Washington, D.C., have made it difficult to pass even routine legislation. Although partisan gridlock is nothing new, an aversion to compromise is defining this Congress, which has been tasked with reducing the largest federal deficit since World War II.
Much of the future is hazy and unknowable. But we can discern certain trends, and we can take steps to ensure that we are as prepared as possible to meet uncertainty.
House Republicans’ passage of the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act, H.R. 5652, should not come as a surprise, given their inability to craft a balanced and sustainable solution to reduce the deficit.
