The Congress and the President were quick to fix the furlough of Air Traffic Controllers which caused flight delays for travelling public for a short period of time. However, much larger issue still remains due to the sequestration that went into effect as of March 1, 2013. Much larger impacts due to across-the-board spending cuts are yet to come.
As furloughs of Federal employees take effect, longer lines can be expected at border crossings and airport terminals. Food inspections at factories will slow down with less food inspectors to inspect meat and other products. Cuts in education and scientific research will have long-term impacts on U.S. competitiveness. These and others will slow down factories and lay-off employees jeopardizing the fragile economic recovery. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it will cost more than 750,000 jobs and takeaway 0.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product in 2013 due to sequestration. The lack of flexibility is one of the main problems associated with the sequestration. Federal agencies can’t move funds between line items without approval from the House and Senate Appropriation sub-committees oversee them. Some who supports sequestration state that the Administration is dramatizing the impacts as a scare tactic.