The sequester is coming, bringing across the board cuts to jobs and government services—and since the Republican leadership is digging in, ready to force those cuts to protect the wealthy from paying a little more in taxes, it's time to start looking at the impact these cuts will have on individual states. Because of its large population of federal workers, Virginia will get hit especially hard by paycheck cuts due to furloughs. But that's not all. Eric Cantor, the House majority leader and a representative from Virginia,
was right when he said "we're going to hurt a lot of people" by refusing to do anything about the sequester unless the president caved to Republican demands to replace the sequester with all cuts and no new revenue.
Here are just a few things that are going to hurt Virginians in the coming months:
For a complete list of ways Republican insistence—under Eric Cantor's leadership—on cuts, not tax fairness, will "hurt a lot of people" in Virginia, jump below the fold.
If sequestration were to take effect, some examples of the impacts on Virginia this year alone are:
Teachers and Schools: Virginia will lose approximately $14 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 190 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 14,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 40 fewer schools would receive funding.
Education for Children with Disabilities: In addition, Virginia will lose approximately $13.9
million in funds for about 170 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities.
Work-Study Jobs: Around 2,120 fewer low income students in Virginia would receive aid to help them finance the costs of college and around 840 fewer students will get work-study jobs that help them pay for college.
Head Start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 1,000 children in Virginia, reducing access to critical early education.
Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water: Virginia would lose about $2,997,000 in
environmental funding to ensure clean water and air quality, as well as prevent pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste. In addition, Virginia could lose another $826,000 in grants for fish and wildlife protection.
Military Readiness: In Virginia, approximately 90,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $648.4 million in total.
Army: Base operation funding would be cut by about $146 million in Virginia.
Air Force: Funding for Air Force operations in Virginia would be cut by about $8 million.
Navy: Cancel the maintenance of 11 ships in Norfolk, defer four projects at Dahlgren, Oceana, and Norfolk, and delay other modernization and demolition projects.
Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds for Crime Prevention and Prosecution: Virginia will lose about $276,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, and crime victim and witness initiatives.
Job Search Assistance to Help those in Virginia find Employment and Training: Virginia will lose about $348,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 18,390 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.
Child Care: Up to 400 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.
Vaccines for Children: In Virginia around 3,530 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about $241,000.
Public Health: Virginia will lose approximately $764,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events. In addition, Virginia will lose about $2,140,000 in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 1,700 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. And the Virginia State Department of Health will lose about $337,000 resulting in around 8,400 fewer HIV tests.
STOP Violence Against Women Program: Virginia could lose up to $172,000 in funds that
provide services to victims of domestic violence, resulting in up to 700 fewer victims being served.
Nutrition Assistance for Seniors: Virginia would lose approximately $1,215,000 in funds that provide meals for seniors.