Help Stop Sequestration

The debate in Congress over the federal deficit has been intense in recent years. But at no time has federal education investments been more at risk than now. Congress must take bold steps to reduce the impact of sequestration, automatic across-the-board budget cuts set to take place starting January 2, 2013.

What is Sequestration?
What is the Impact to Education?
What Programs are Exempt From Automatic Budget Cuts?
Can Sequestration be Stopped?
Efforts to Protect Defense Programs
Educators Need to Speak Out
Sequestration Resources
Recent News on Sequestration

What is Sequestration?

Sequestration became law as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011, and the failure to enact a $1.2 trillion balanced deficit reduction plan. The Budget Control Act established limits or caps on discretionary spending over 10 years, resulting in $1 trillion in cuts spread across defense and nondefense programs.

The law also directed a bipartisan Congressional Committee to identify an additional $1.2 trillion in budgetary savings over ten years. The failure of the so-called “super committee” to come to an agreement on a deficit reduction plan triggered a “sequester” to take effect on January 2, 2013.

To sequester means to set apart or to take something away until a debt has been repaid. In the context of funding federal programs, sequester means imminent, across-the-board cuts to most programs, both defense and nondefense—in addition to the $1 trillion in cuts already sustained through the Budget Control Act’s discretionary caps.

What is the impact to education?

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Department of Education will be hit with automatic, across-the-board cuts ranging from 7.8 percent in 2013 to 5.5 percent in 2021. Estimates by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities indicate that sequestration could result in 8.4 percent across-the-board cuts.

A 7.8 percent cut in 2013 is equal to a $4.4 billion reduction in funding for the Department of Education. Such cuts in 2013-14 school year would result in:

• $1.1 billion cut from Title I

• $986 million cut from IDEA

• $90 million cut from Impact Aid

• $192 million cut in Teacher Quality State Grants

• $90 million cut from 21^st Century Community Learning Centers

• $14 million cut from rural education

• $621 million cut from Head Start

Tell your Member of Congress to reduce the impact of sequestration on education by visiting our Legislative Action Center.

What programs are exempt from automatic budget cuts?

Pell Grants are protected from the first year of automatic cuts, the only education program spared from these cuts. Programs that are completely exempt from the effects of sequestration include Social Security benefits, SSI, veteran benefits, TANF, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), and Medicaid. Cuts to Medicare were limited to just 2 percent.

Can Sequestration be stopped?

To reduce the impact of sequestration, or to simply provide more time to debate an ultimate solution other than indiscriminate across-the-board budget cuts, Congress must pass another law to repeal sequestration. However, in order to repeal the automatic cuts, alternative budget cuts or a package of revenues must replace sequestration. President Obama has included a proposal to eliminate the need for sequestration in his Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The president’s budget achieved enough savings by reducing spending in most areas.

Efforts to protect defense programs

Unfortunately, the defense industry has gone to tremendous lengths to convince lawmakers and the public that the impact of sequestration on defense spending would be devastating and threaten our national security. The only way to further protect defense spending from sequestration would be to cut the nondefense programs, including education, drastically deeper that what is currently scheduled.

Earlier this year, the House approved a proposal to reduce part of the automatic spending cuts. However, it did not spare programs equally—it eliminated all cuts to defense, while shifting all of the automatic cuts to nondefense discretionary spending, dramatically increasing the impact of scheduled cuts to education programs.

Educators Need to Speak Out

• Congress must be reminded that we cannot balance the federal budget and reduce the deficit on the backs on our children.
• Federal lawmakers need to hear from you that education investments must be protected.
• Because this is an election year, few legislative working days remain for Congress to pass a balanced deficit reduction deal -- which includes both spending reductions and new revenues -- before sequestration is set to occur. Congress cannot wait to reduce the impact of sequestration on education.

Tell your Member of Congress to reduce the impact of sequestration on education by visiting our Legislative Action Center now.

Sequestration Resources

• Senator Harkin (D- IA), Chairman of the Senate Labor, Health & Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee released a detailed state-level analysis of the impact of sequestration to dozens of education programs Under Threat: Sequestrations Impact on Nondefense Jobs and Services. This report states that nearly 11,000 special education educators could face job losses from a reduction to IDEA funds as a result of sequestration. In addition, 1.8 million fewer students would be served in the nation by Title I funds.              

• The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities recently released a report that finds that without a balanced approach to reduce the impact of sequestration, states and localities will face significant cuts.

• The Committee for Education Funding has put together a variety of resources in their sequestration grassroots action package. Besides their fact sheet on these automatic cuts, also included is a presentation on what these cuts means to you, your family and community.

• State-by-state impact of Sequestration, compiled by the NEA.

• NAESP is working with a new and unprecedented “coalition of coalitions” which was formed to fight against sequestration and represents numerous nondefense federal programs. This coalition created a grassroots toolkit that includes a Sequestration FAQs, Tips for Town Hall Meetings and  Press Events, Tips for Writing Letter to Editor, with Sample Letter and Tips for Social Media, with Sample Tweets.

Recent News on Sequestration

• Sept. 19, 2012 -Sequester Transparency Report Released OMB releases a much-anticipated report on the impact of the scheduled 8.2 percent across-the-board budget cuts without expected details.
• July 25, 2012 - Senate Hearing to Examine Cuts and Education Hearing today will explore sequestration's impact on Title I, Title II, and IDEA funding.
• July 24, 2012 - Dept. of Ed: No Across-the-Board Cuts to Education for 2012-2013 Dept. states that sequestration "should not upset planning and hiring decisions."
• July 13, 2012 - NAESP Calls for “Balanced Approach” to Funding Cuts Nearly 3,000 groups come together to send message to Congress.
• June 20, 2012 - Updated! NAESP Supports Amendment to Clarify Cuts Confused about the impact of looming education budget cuts? Clarification is on the way.
• May 1, 2012 - New Estimate on the Size of Education Cuts Analysis explores impact of looming across-the-board cuts.
• April 16, 2012 - Campaign to Stop Education Cuts Launched Sign petition now to prevent massive proposed funding cuts.
• Nov. 22, 2011 - Education Cuts on the Horizon for 2013 "Supercommittee" fails, triggering billions in automatic cuts from education.