Sequestration Orchestration

For months, people have been saying (including people like me), that the "gun" held to the head of the Congress by the threat of sequestration was overdone, that as a creation of legislation, it can be legislatively "holstered".  That none of the funds to be sequestered were earmarked for sooner than 2013 seemed to add to this perception.

While it is true that the Congress can holster this gun, they must be conscious of how and when it must be done, or much of the damage of sequestration will occur whether they wish it or not. 

Unless Congress acts to avert sequestration by the middle of next year, each service will have to start canceling contracts and laying people off to meet the budget targets by Dec 31. The system simply isn't nimble enough to flip a switch to stop spending money in every account. Since sequestration will impact every PE (program element) line item, programs will begin to be broken six months out.  

Another big problem with this timetable?  A little thing called a Presidential Election...

Message to Congress, DoD and the Administration?  Time is running out...fast...

Bryan McGrath