Live Radio
Home » Latest News » How sequestration will affect…

How sequestration will affect D.C., Md. and Va.

WTOP Staff | WTOP_website@wtop.com

February 25, 2013, 8:06 PM

Maryland impacts: Substance abuse programs Maryland will lose up to $1.6 million in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse. This means 2,500 fewer people will be admitted into the state's substance abuse programs. In 2010, the state had more than 10,000 treatment admissions for heroin use and approximately 4,000 treatment admissions for cocaine. In 2007, Maryland's drug-induced deaths (14.4 per 100,000) exceeded the national rate. (Ben Richardson/Getty Images)
National impacts: Travel Travelers will need to build in some extra time after the sequester. In addition to longer lines at security airports (average wait times could increase by 30 to 50 percent or close to four hours at the nation's busiest airports), there will also be longer waits at security checkpoints along the Mexican border and at ports. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will reduce its work hours by the equivalent of over 5,000 border patrol agents and the Federal Aviation Administration will have to cut more than $600 million from its budget. (Gary Conner/Getty Images)
National impacts: The economy The sequester will harm the economy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will cost 750,000 jobs and lower economic growth by 0.6 percent. The automatic cuts also will reduce loan guarantees to small businesses by about $900 million. (AP)
AP
National impacts: Food availability and prices Department of Agriculture inspectors will be furloughed for up to 15 days, meaning meatpacking plants will intermittently shut down, there will be less meat in grocery stores and the price of meat will increase. USDA says the furloughs could impact approximately 6,290 establishments nationwide and cost roughly over $10 billion in production losses. Lost wages could total $400 million. (AP)
AP
Virginia impacts: Childhood vaccinations With the start of school year looming, Maryland health officials are reminding parents to get their kids vaccinated. (Getty Images)
Getty Images
Virginia impacts: Department of Defense employees, Army funding In the D.C. metro region, Virginia will be hit the hardest by sequestration's military cuts. Approximately 90,000 Department of Defense employees will be furloughed and Army base operation funding will be cut by about $146 million in the state. (Hisham Ibrahim/Getty Images)
Virginia impacts: Traffic
Virginia impacts: Norfolk's naval industry Norfolk will feel the impact of sequestration. The Navy will cancel the maintenance of 11 ships, defer four naval projects and delay modernization and demolition projects. Virginia's largest employer is Newport News Shipbuilding with about 21,000 workers. Putting projects on hold and canceling maintenance will impact the state's job force. (Danita Delimont/Getty Images)
Danita Delimont/Getty Images
Maryland impacts: Seniors and domestic violence victims Some seniors in Maryland will lose access to nutritious meals when the state loses $877,000 in funds that provide this service for seniors. Additionally, 500 fewer domestic violence victims will be served when $124,000 is cut from the budget. The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence reports that more than 1,500 men, women and children in Maryland have died as a result of domestic violence; there were 49 total deaths from domestic violence between June 2001 and June 2012. (Angus Ford-Robertson/Getty Images)
Angus Ford-Robertson/Getty Images
How sequestration will affect the D.C. area D.C. impacts: HIV testing
D.C. has the highest AIDS diagnosis rate of any other area in the country (more than 14,000 residents are living with HIV in D.C.). Budget cuts from sequestration mean the city will administer 8,100 fewer HIV tests. (Rick Gerharter/Getty Images.)
Maryland impacts: Military cuts Approximately 46,000 Maryland Department of Defense employees will be furloughed. Army base operation funding will be cut by $95 million, and Air Force operations will lose $10 million. Additionally, the Blue Angels show in Annapolis and Ocean City could be canceled.
Preschool teacher with students
Maryland impacts: Watershed and the Chesapeake Bay While the Chesapeake Bay recently has exhibited poor water quality and record-low counts of striped bass, Maryland will lose $467,000 in grants for fish and wildlife protection. Additionally, the Navy will lose $9 million in funding for a demolition project in the Patuxent River, and the state will lose about $3.1 million in funds that promote clean air and water. (Bob Stefko/Getty Images)
Bob Stefko/Getty Images
D.C. impacts: Law enforcement D.C. was recently released from the list of the nation's most dangerous cities, and in 2012, D.C. had the lowest number of homicides since the 1960s. However, violent sex crimes spiked nearly 51 percent in 2012 and assaults with a dangerous weapon went up 7 percent last year. The District will lose about $80,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, drug treatment and enforcement and crime prevention and education.(WTOP/Carolyn Bick)
D.C. impacts: Museums The Smithsonian, which includes popular museums such as the National Zoo, the Museum of Natural History and the Air and Space Museum, will lose $40 million in funding if the cuts aren't restored before September, The Washington Post reports. While the pandas and the tigers will still be cared for at the National Zoo, the zoo may have to cut back on animal training and possibly even close one of its exhibits. (The National Zoo/Ann Batdorf)
The National Zoo/Ann Batdorf
D.C. impacts: Metro Federal workers make up 40 percent of Metro's 85,000 daily riders. Therefore, the mass transit agency is bracing for a possible loss of $12 million when fewer federal employees and government contractors commute due to the projected furlough, The Washington Post reports. (WMATA/Larry Levine)
WMATA/Larry Levine
D.C. impacts: Education About 1,000 fewer students will be served when the District loses $533,000 in funding for education, and 200 pre-K kids will be eliminated from Head Start, the federal program that promotes school readiness for low-income youth. Additionally, D.C. will lose approximately $925,000 in funds for teachers, aides and staff who help children with disabilities. (AP)
AP
(1/17)

Rachel Nania, wtop.com

Congress has until Friday, March 1 to avoid the massive budget cuts that will slash the government’s spending by $85 million. If sequestration goes into effect, the nation will be affected, but so will D.C., Maryland and Virginia residents.

Related News

Recommended

Related Categories:

Latest News
Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up