On the recordApril 10, 2013
I rise today to address the sequester. Many of those in this House have been telling their constituents that the sequester doesn't make any difference, that nothing has really changed; but that simply is not true. For example, a cut to the Federal Aviation Administration's budget will result in the furloughing of most of FAA's 47,000 employees, or at least one day per pay period through the end of the fiscal year. Even those employees who provide safety-critical services, like systems specialists and aviation safety inspectors, will be subject to the furlough. As much as 10 percent of the FAA's workforce could be on furlough on any given day, resulting in reduced air traffic control, longer delays and economic losses for air transportation, tourism, and the economy as a whole. Last week, I visited Lynn Evans-Biga, the executive director of the Luzerne-Wyoming County Head Start in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, an agency which serves 1,000 students and has a waiting list of 700 already. It will have to accept 49 fewer students because of the 5.2 percent sequester cut. ____________________
