Deadline Day! Will We Be Faced With Budgets Cuts?

(CNN) – Lawmakers have known about this day since August 2011 – a day they say was never supposed to come – but nevertheless, it’s here.

Starting Friday, the federal government is required by law to start cutting $85 billion from its budget over the next seven months, with a total of $1.2 trillion over the next decade.

The automatic cuts will hit a number of federal agencies in both defense and non-defense spending. Lawmakers and agency heads warn the effects will cause a range of issues from unemployment to longer lines at the airport to lower-quality food inspections.

President Barack Obama sat down at the White House with congressional leaders Friday morning – the timing of the last-minute meeting has been widely criticized – and later held a press conference in the press briefing room. But with most members of Congress out of town, the likelihood of Washington’s top brass reaching a deal Friday to avert the cuts is slim.

Check back here for the latest on the day’s developments.

1:51 p.m. ET – President Obama stated in his press conference that janitors and security personnel on Capitol Hill will face less pay because of the spending cuts. CNN’s Dana Bash and Lisa Desjardins report that while there are no furloughs planned for those employees, Senate Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer says some janitorial staff will likely see smaller paychecks because of the very sharp cut in overtime available and the lack of merit increases.

“Neither the United States Capitol Police officers nor our facility team members will experience compensation reductions. Overtime opportunities will be severely restricted and that ultimately impacts service,” Gainer said.

1:45 p.m. ET – Did you miss the press conference? Click here for a transcript of the president’s remarks.

1:30 p.m. ET – From CNNMoney’s Jeanne Sahadi: The political bickering over the automatic spending cuts has done little but cloud the public’s understanding of what’s going on and why. So we’ll try to set the record straight on at least a few oft-repeated misconceptions.

Read more at CNNMoney: 4 myths about the spending cuts

1:23 p.m. ET – In the White House meeting earlier Friday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear that solutions to the across-the-board cuts “can and must be done through the regular order rather than in a backroom with no input from Senate Republicans,” according to a Senate GOP aide.

McConnell also released a statement: “Today’s meeting was an opportunity to restate our commitment to the American people that we would significantly reduce Washington spending. Over the coming weeks, we’ll have the opportunity to ensure funding is at the level we promised while working on solutions for making spending reductions more intelligently than the President’s across-the-board cuts. But I want to make clear that any solutions will be done through the regular order, with input from both sides of the aisle in public debate. I will not be part of any back-room deal and I will absolutely not agree to increase taxes.”

12:42 p.m. ET – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held a press conference on Capitol Hill.

“I think some people may have thought sequester meant ‘shut down of government.’ No it means more like ‘hold hostage all the things you care about so we can have across-the-board cuts’.”

She then read a furlough memo issued by the Justice Department this morning.

“The furloughs are already going out,” she said. “They will have an impact on peoples’ lives.”

12:22 p.m. ET – CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash reports that the White House meeting was quite “subdued” with no drama, according to a GOP congressional aide familiar with the meeting.

The source said there isn’t much to add because nothing much happened besides people laying out their positions

12:20 p.m. ET – From CNN Political Producer Martina: “Just two months after the brinksmanship of the “fiscal cliff,” Washington is staring at yet another deadline to avoid yet another fiscal calamity of its own making. But this time, something is different…”

Read more: Shame and blame: Why Washington needs couples therapy

12:18 p.m. ET – CNN Senior Congressional Producer Deirdre Walsh reports that House officers–including the House Sgt. at Arms, Clerk, Chief Administrative Officer–sent letters earlier this week telling their employees that they have been planning for potential cuts and there were no plans for furloughs initially, according to a senior House official.

The House is also cutting back on staffing for various entrances to Capitol/House office buildings. The Senate is doing the same. This official emphasized that security would not be impacted, and they are still finalizing the plans. But it’s expected fewer public entrances would be open around the complex.

Individual House members offices decide how to handle the cuts for their employees. One senior Democratic leadership aide said they are still awaiting the details on what the exact figures on the cuts will be.

11:57 a.m. ET – Asked Friday by CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jessica Yellin why he can’t simply lock congressional leaders in a room until they reach a deficit-reduction agreement, President Obama said he can’t “force Congress to do the right thing.”

“Jessica, I am not a dictator, I’m the president,” he said while speaking to reporters in the White House Press Briefing Room. “Ultimately, if Mitch McConnell or John Boehner say we need to go to catch a plane, I can’t have Secret Service block the doorway.”

();” width=”460″ height=”211″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]11:54 a.m. ET – In his press briefing Friday morning, Obama continued to fault Republicans for Congress’ failure to find a deficit-reduction agreement.

“None of this is necessary. It’s happening because a choice that Republicans in congress have made,” he said. “They’ve allowed these cuts to happen because they refuse to budge on closing a single wasteful loophole to help reduce the deficit. As recently as yesterday they decided to protect special interest tax breaks for the well off and the well connected and they think that that’s apparently more important than protecting our military or middle class families from the pain of these cuts. “

The president said that the nation’s deficit problem is not about spending too much on education or repairing roads, but instead involves long-term medical costs that need to be addressed as part of entitlement reforms–cuts that Republicans want.

11:46 a.m. ET – House Speaker John Boehner’s office released a statement about what took place at the White House meeting Friday morning. According to this office, Boehner reminded the president that Republicans had already compromised on revenue two months ago when they passed a fiscal cliff bill that included an increase in tax rates.

At the White House this morning, Speaker Boehner continued to press the president and (Senate Majority) Leader Reid to produce a plan to replace the sequester that can actually pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. He suggested the most productive way to resolve the sequester issue will be through regular order. The speaker reminded the president that Congress just last month provided him the tax hike he was seeking without any spending cuts. It’s time to focus on spending, the speaker told the group. The Republican leaders reiterated their willingness to close tax loopholes, but not as a replacement for the sequester’s spending cuts, saying any revenue generated by closing tax loopholes should be used to lower tax rates and create jobs.

11:39 a.m. ET – In the briefing room, Obama said he told congressional leaders “these cuts will hurt our economy, cost us jobs, and to set it right, both sides need to be willing to compromise.”

The “dumb, arbitrary cuts” in government spending that take effect Friday are “unnecessary and inexcusable,” he added, emphasizing that “not everyone will feel the pain right away” but over the next week, “many will have their lives disrupted in difficult ways.”

“None of this is necessary,” Obama added, placing blame on Republicans for not compromising and allowing tax revenue on the table as part of a deficit-reduction deal to avert the forced spending cuts.

11:18 a.m. ET – The White House announced the president will deliver a statement in the briefing room at 11:35 a.m.

11:14 a.m. ET – After the meeting, House Speaker John Boehner came outside to make a statement.

“The president got his tax hikes on January 1st. This discussion about revenue, in my view, is over. It’s about taking on the spending problem here in Washington,” he said.

Boehner said the House has already passed two budget bills and called out the Senate for not passing any. “The House has laid out a plan to avoid the sequester,” he said. “I would hope that the Senate would act.”

As for the next fiscal battle in Washington, the speaker announced that the House will move a bill next week to continue funding the government past March 27.

“I’m hopeful that we won’t have to deal with the threat of a government shutdown while we’re dealing with the sequester at the same time. The House will act next week and I hope the Senate will follow suit,” he said.

11:07 a.m. ET – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was seen leaving the White House.

10:47 a.m. ET – Retired Republican Rep. Steve LaTourette said Congress failed to pass a deficit-reduction plan because “the two sides won’t give up their sacred cows and reach some conclusion.”

“Republicans have to get serious on revenue, and quite frankly the president has to begin has to begin talking about significant entitlement reform,” the former Ohio congressman said on CNN’s “Newsroom.”

10:35 a.m. ET – The president and vice president started their meeting at 10:18 a.m. with the House and Senate leadership, a White House Official told the print pool.

10:10 a.m ET – Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said it’s ridiculous that Congress left for the weekend as the cuts start to go into place.

“The the last place I should be right now is Florida,” she said on CNN’s “Newsroom,” arguing that Democrats had “insisted” on staying in the nation’s capital but Republicans “refused” to compromise. “We should be in Washington, sitting down at the table, working together.”

10:06 a.m. ET – House Speaker John Boehner arrived for the meeting.

10 a.m. ET – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrived at the White House.

9:48 a.m. ET – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid arrived at the White House for the meeting.

8:04 a.m. ET: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement about today’s meeting at the White House, reiterating that there will be “no last-minute, back-room deal.”

“We promised the American people that we would cut Washington spending, and the President signed those cuts into law. Republicans have offered the President numerous solutions, including the flexibility he needs to secure those reductions more intelligently. I’m happy to discuss other ideas to keep our commitment to reducing Washington spending at today’s meeting. But there will be no last-minute, back-room deal and absolutely no agreement to increase taxes.”

 

Via:CNN.com