On Sunday the White House released a state by state breakdown of the impact of the sequester, a series of forced budget cuts which will go into effect on March 1 if Congress can’t reach a compromise.
The White House stated the following:
If sequestration were to take effect, some examples of the impacts on Pennsylvania this year alone are:
- Teachers and Schools: Pennsylvania will lose approximately $26.4 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 360 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 29,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 90 fewer schools would receive funding.
- Education for Children with Disabilities: In addition, Pennsylvania will lose approximately $21.4 million in funds for about 260 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with
- Work-Study Jobs: Around 3,160 fewer low income students in Pennsylvania would receive aid to help them finance the costs of college and around 2,290 fewer students will get work-study jobs that help them pay for college.
- Head Start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately2,300 children in Pennsylvania, reducing access to critical early education.
- Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water: Pennsylvania would lose about $5,705,000 in environmental funding to ensure clean water and air quality, as well as prevent pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste. In addition, Pennsylvania could lose another $1,448,000 in grants for fish and wildlife protection.
- Military Readiness: In Pennsylvania, approximately 26,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $150.1 million in total.
- Army: Base operation funding would be cut by about $7 million in Pennsylvania.
- Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds for Crime Prevention and Prosecution:
Pennsylvania will lose about $509,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, and crime victim and witness initiatives.
- Job Search Assistance to Help those in Pennsylvania find Employment and Training:
Pennsylvania will lose about $866,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 36,860 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.
- Child Care: Up to 1,800 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.
- Vaccines for Children: In Pennsylvania around 5,280 fewer children will receive vaccines for
diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about $361,000.
- Public Health: Pennsylvania will lose approximately $1,213,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events. In addition, Pennsylvania will lose about $2,930,000 in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 3,500 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. And Pennsylvania’s health departments will lose about $639,000 resulting in around16,000 fewer HIV tests.
- STOP Violence Against Women Program: Pennsylvania could lose up to $271,000 in funds that provide services to victims of domestic violence, resulting in up to 1,000 fewer victims being served.
- Nutrition Assistance for Seniors: Pennsylvania would lose approximately $849,000 in funds that provide meals for seniors.