While not exactly the same, “sequestration” and “recusal” are sort of “BFF”s. Like shrimp and prawns, jam and jelly, chimpanzees and bonobos, one is often mistaken for the other. While what follows will explain what they are and how they’re different, what they share in common is that they each, in their own way, mean, in at least one incarnation, “you ain’t invited to the party.” Allow me to explain. The term “sequestration” may ring a dysfunctional Washington bell or two. In the paralytic-Washington sense, “sequestration” is a process whereby a financial can is kicked down the road. “Budget sequestration” is a provision of federal law that causes an across-the-board reduction in certain kinds of spending included in the federal budget. It involves setting a hard cap on the amount of government spending within broadly defined categories; if Congress enacts annual appropriations legislation that exceeds these caps, an across-the-board spending cut is automatically imposed on these categories, affecting all departments and programs by an equal percentage.