Senate democrats and the white house are on one side, house republicans are on the other and the prospects of a deal before Friday's deadline are very much in doubt.
According to a white house report, education and defense spending would be among the hardest hit areas here in Maine under the automatic cuts. The report says Maine's defense industry, including the navy base in Kittery and at BIW, would face severe cuts with civilian employees facing furloughs.
The report also says Maine would lose more than $5 million in education funding, including the loss of funding for about 30 teachers and staff who help children with disabilities.
Portland mayor Michael Brennan, a democrat, was talking education today, announcing a partnership with the business community to promote higher education in the city. He says the federal cuts to education will set Maine back.
Michael Brennan: “There's nothing good in the message. And combined with what's being proposed in Augusta, we really face some huge challenges here in the city of Portland. My deepest hope is that congress will work something out and that the sequestering will go in a different direction.”
And just a short time ago, the Maine National Guard put out a statement saying its readiness is at risk if "sequestration" happens. Now it's possible the cuts could happen Friday, but that congress and the white house could restore some or all of what's cut in the weeks or months ahead if a deal is reached past the deadline. Regardless, right now a deal before Friday looks unlikely.
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