Problem of Sequestration Remains Unsolved
On September 22, 2012, the Senate approved an FY13 continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government from October 1 through March 27, 2013. The CR passed by a vote of 62-30. All but one of those voting to oppose the CR were Republicans. The measure, H. J. Res. 117, was approved by the House of Representatives on September 13 by a vote of 329-91. President Obama is expected to sign the measure into law.
The final CR does not include any funding “anomalies,” changes to funding levels in order to continue providing the same level of service as in FY12. Advocates had urged that certain accounts receive funding at a level higher than provided in FY12 to compensate for intended one-time reductions in the account in the prior fiscal year.
Congress has gone on recess until after the November 6, 2012 election without addressing sequestration, which will result in across-the-board cuts to federal defense and non-defense discretionary programs starting next year unless Congress acts to undo them.
Monarch and NLIHC have joined more than 1,500 organizations in signing a letter organized by the Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) urging that Congress avert sequestration through a balanced approach to deficit reduction, which includes increases in revenues. HUD estimates that if sequestration takes effect, approximately 250,000 rental assistance vouchers will be lost and an additional 100,000 people will remain homeless instead of housed in FY13.
Members of Congress continued to pursue legislative changes to sequestration. On September 13, 2012, Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO) introduced H.R. 6389, the Sequestration Prevention Act of 2012. The measure would replace the across-the-board sequestration cuts to defense programs with further reductions to non-defense discretionary programs.
Click here for the text of H.R. 6389.
Click here for the text of H.R. 643.
Click here for a copy of the CHN letter.
