Historically, when faced with a sequester situation, especially an enormous one, the parties have sat down in the weeks and months before the deadline and worked out a deal to avoid the cuts. Today's Republicans and Democrats seem to have lost the will, the ability, the desire – or all three – to compromise.
Nor does either side seem to remember its own part in the process that led up to the sequestration. President Obama, in the hours leading up to the deadline, downplayed the effects, but clearly laid the blame at the feet of the Republicans. "This is not the apocalypse," he told reporters. "It's just dumb." (Hennessey and Parsons) Not all Americans, such as college students who stand to lose financial aid dollars or single mothers whose children have lost their Head Start slots, may agree with the President's claim about the apocalypse. Many, however, likely agree with him completely about how "dumb" it is.
Works Cited
Cantrill, Libby and Josh Thimons. "Falling off the Fiscal Cliff?" Morningstar.com Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
Hennessey, Kathleen and Christi Parsons. "Obama: Budget cuts no apocalypse, 'just dumb.'" Los Angeles Times. 1. LaTimes.com. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. <http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-budget-cuts-just-dumb-20130301,0,745122.story>
Hoagland, G. William, Steve Bell, Loren Adler and Shai Akabas. "Origins of the Sequester." Bipartisan Policy Center. Bipartisanpolicy.org. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
Knoller, Mark. "National debt has increased more under Obama than under Bush." CBSNews.com. Web. 19 Mar. 2012.
Uberti, David. "Obama slams GOP on spending cuts." The Boston Globe. 1. BostonGlobe.com. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. <www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/03/01/obama-congress-closer-averting-automatic-cuts-after-white-house-meeting/AJFYHoV6B8JFc50cJIuZPJ/story.html>
U.S. Government Printing Office. "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009." Public Law 111-5. 17 Feb. 2009. Web.
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