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The March 1st deadline for Congress to act to prevent the sequester has come and gone. Over the coming weeks Voices for Children will highlight some of the sequester’s impact on kids in Nebraska. We will begin with a brief overview of what the sequester is and how it is expected to affect Nebraska children.

We’re not going to lie… Ryan Gosling and Kate Upton already explained the sequester better than we ever could. Click the image to see their take…

What is the sequester?

The Sequester is automatic federal spending cuts that were created in the Budget Control Act of 2011.  These automatic cuts “threaten hundreds of thousands of middle class jobs, and cut vital services for children, seniors, people with mental illness and our men and women in uniform” (The White House).  Congress failed to reach an agreement by the March 1st, 2013 deadline, so the sequester is going into affect and automatic budget cuts will take place.  The Office of Management and Budget estimates that sequestration will require an annual 5% reduction in spending for nondefense programs, and an 8% spending reduction annually for defense programs.

How does the sequester impact Nebraska?

The White House suggests the following areas will be impacted in Nebraska and how great the loss will be:

• Teachers and Schools ($2,988,000)
• Education for Children with Disabilities ($3,530,000)
• Work-Study Jobs for low income college students (180 students will lose aid and 150 will lose work-study jobs)
• Head Start and Early Head Start (Spots for 400 children will be cut)
• Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water ($1,294,000)
• Military Readiness ($41,200,000)
• Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds for Crime Prevention and Prosecution ($97,000)
• Job Search Assistance to Help those in Nebraska find Employment and Training ($460,000 meaning 14,400 fewer people will receive services)
• Child Care (Loss of access for 200 disadvantaged and vulnerable children)
• Vaccines for Children ($52,000 resulting in 760 fewer children will receive vaccines)
• Public Health ($615,000)
• STOP Violence Against Women Program ($39,000)
• Nutrition Assistance for Seniors ($121,000)

Check out the White House’s sequester fact sheet for more information on the Sequester and the anticipated budget cuts.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more detailed information on how the sequester cuts will impact the children of Nebraska.

Thank you to taking the time to share!