By Emma Koch
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — There’s a lot of sequester (federal budget cuts) talk coming from Washington and Hoosiers are still learning how these cuts will impact their lives.
Nationwide the budget cuts amount to $85 billion. $13.8 million will be cut from Indiana primary and secondary education. Reports say Head Start and Early Head Start programs will be eliminated and up to 600 disadvantaged children could lose access to childcare.
The Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood announced Monday morning what the sequester will mean for nation-wide air travel. Approximately $600 million Federal Aviation Administration expenditures will be cut. That means that the tower at Fort Wayne International airport is one of 60+ towers across the country that would have to eliminate overnight tower shifts. 6 Indiana airports would be part of the over 100 air traffic control facilities that could be closed.
Thousands of civilian Department of Defense employees in Indiana could face furlough.
U.S. Senator Dan Coats issued the following statement:
“I opposed the budget control act that established sequestration cuts because the policy falsely assumes that all federal programs are equal and therefore all programs should be cut equally. A more responsible way to govern is to separate the essential functions of government from the programs that are duplicative, unnecessary or unaffordable to find ways to reduce spending and save taxpayer dollars.”