Albio Sires: “If we face yet another fiscal cliff in 2 weeks, it is imperative that this Chamber produces a real solution to ward off…”

“If we face yet another fiscal cliff in 2 weeks, it is imperative that this Chamber produces a real solution to ward off a financial disaster that could deeply impact the American people. The idea behind sequestration was to create a worst-case scenario that was so severe that it would force both sides to work together and find a balanced approach to passing a realistic budget reducing our deficits. Instead of setting the stage for yet another battle to be resolved in the 11th hour, we should be focused on creating jobs and growing our economy. If sequestration goes forward, programs and services that millions of Americans rely on, like Head Start, supplemental nutrition programs like the WIC program, and even FEMA, would be decimated by drastic cuts in our funding. Additionally, sequestration would slash critical support to police who keep our streets safe, our air traffic controllers who manage our skies, and food inspectors who ensure the food that we eat is safe. Instead of jeopardizing critical services to our citizens, we need to begin to work on an approach that will avoid sequestration while sensibly reducing our deficit. ____________________”