Page 3 - Sequester Cuts News Today

Bridges and transportation projects. republicans are angry about the tax increases, up to $2 trillion including 320 billion in new taxes on corporations and the wealthiest americans. the obama administration wants to put that money toward expanded tax cuts for the middle class. the presidents budget will end the sequester cuts put in place back in 2011. >> i want to work with congress to replace mindless austerity with smart investments that strengthen america. >> reporter: president obamas budg...

In an online interview with "usa today," koskinen said taxpayers should expect the agency will do just that. >> i think there are some people must have thought, well, if we dont give them money they wont make it work. they dont understand the agency. we do statutory mandates and we will implement the affordable care act and acat. it is called. >> reporter: saying sequester cuts really hurt the irs, adding if the agency continues at current levels it could risk quote crippling the irs, jenna. jen...

Or evaluate them. >> just about a year ago, you proposed an item on mental illness. did any of your measures go toward what we are talking about? >> it has been adopted but not implemented. that was tough to get. $10 million pilot program to bring the private sector in. having the defense department and the private sector work together. i got the idea from the owner of the new york mets. steve and i got involved and this would bring private hospitals and foundations in so they could assist the d...

Then they didnt like how it was turning out, so the white house turned and said, you know, those darn republicans made us do sequester. and then it became bad. it was good, then it became bad. now apparently theyre going to try to spin it back the other way a second time, saying those sequester cuts, thats austerity. see what were doing for you? its amazing the verbal gymnastics theyre playing with. >> let me get julies take on it politically. maybe im wrong. i think it is strange to ask members...

It. this is exactly what we talked about on this program back in december. if they had not taken the deal, yes, there would have been sequester cuts. it would have been rough, but i believe it would have intensified the conversation a lot more. 1.3 million people and a few more after that doesnt rise to the level of getting the republicans their attention. now theyre talking about the midterms and jobs and obamacare. there is to trust between both parties, period. and this is proof. joining me n...

Second address and he has a chance there to layout a more sweeping look at what he wants to accomplish. take a look at this number, if you will. a huge number. negotiators in congress dpreeing on a spending plan to keep the government funded until the end of the year. notably affecting some of the veterans and the much debated sequester cuts. gym acosta at the white house with the very latest. we have a deal, the question always is, will it pass? >> reporter: fingers crossed. good morning. the...

The house and senate appropriations committee chairman had come to an agreement that this is going to fund the government through september. that is something we have not seen here in washington in some time. lets roll through some of the things this agreement does. it does amount to about a trillion dollars in spending. it does soften the sequester cuts by making more targeted cuts. it also restores some of those pension cuts for older veterans that were in the framework agreement by the budget...

Extension of unemployment benefits. the republicans are not going to go along with this unless there are offsets. thats going to put the democrats where i told you they would be over a month ago. yes, i know it saves some sequester cuts, but if they didnt do this deal, well be talking about millions of americans being affected by the budget as opposed to 1.3 million. the democrats are going to have to come up with something. if they really want to extend these unemployment benefits the way it st...

But officials point out harper rejected the package of revenue enhancement of spending cuts which would have avoided the sequester cuts which itself took a big chunk out of the funding for medical research. harper says higher taxes was not the answer to the problem. >> wendell goler, in beautiful hawaii. and obamacare creating new heat among critics and supporters. "the wall street journal" says they may establish a federal bureaucracy dedicated to the big tech projects. now, in order to avoid...

And they see that as the only mechanism where spending cuts are taking place. >> it turns out the republicans, almost like the [ inaudible ]. its way blunder by the president. >> it will have investments in education and energy and medical research. >> the president tried to convince the public that the sequester cuts would be too painful to bear. >> border patrol agents will see their hours reduced. fbi agents will be furloughed. federal prosecutors will have to close cases and let criminals go...