Sequestration Action Center
What is Sequestration?
Sequestration refers to $1.2 trillion in mandatory across-the-board cuts from the federal budget as required in the Budget Control Act. In the summer of 2011, Congress was in deadlock over the issue of whether to raise the debt ceiling and how to reduce the federal deficit. In the Budget Control Act, both sides agreed to form a “budget supercommittee” which was required to find $1.3 trillion in cuts or else $1.2 trillion cuts would be made across-the-board. As a result of the committee’s failure to reach a deal, half of the $1.2 trillion in mandatory cuts will come from security spending and half from non-security discretionary spending. Many bipartisan reports and independent studies show that the indiscriminant cuts would result in another recession and would gut our national defense.
The Navy League recognizes the danger that sequestration poses to our military, homeland security, defense industrial base and the economy at large. The Navy League urges the Congress to avoid sequestration and find a bipartisan solution that finds targeted cuts that reduce waste while preserving those programs that are important to the health, safety, security and success of our great nation.
Take Action!
Are you concerned about how sequestration will affect you? The best way for a citizen like you to help avoid Sequestration is to contact your Congressman and Senators and urge them to find a solution that does not hurt our economy and national security. Let them know this is an issue you care about. The most direct method is to call the Member’s Washington DC office. You can find a sample phone script and talking points. If you prefer to email your congressman or senator click here for a draft with a defense focus.
You can also help by reaching out to your neighbors and community groups - this is an issue that affects everyone. Please follow the links for more information about how Sequestration will affect your community, sending a letter to the editor and a sample phone script for community groups, as well as a draft email.
- Talking points
- Phone script-national security focus
- Phone script-general focus
- Sample Letter to Congress-national security focus
- Sample Letter to Congress-general
- Sample Letter to the Editor
- Presentation from the Navy League to Community Groups
- Email to Council, Area, and Region Presidents
How To Make Your Voice Heard
The following links contain direct information about how you can contact your Congressman, Senator, and the White House.
- Email the White House
- Write or Call the White House
- Find Your Representative
- Find Your Senator
- Write Elected Officials
Sequestration News Clips
- Coast Guard Hailed for Sandy Rescue Threatened by Sequester Cuts
- Hasc Sequestration Hearing
- Sequestration Impact Report
- Moody's Warns Of Downgrade If Congress Doesn't Move On Fiscal Cliff
- Buck McKeon: Ignore Labor Department
- Sequestration Road Trip Heads to Florida, Virginia, North Carolina
- The Danger of Obama's Inaction on Sequestration
- BUCCI: Defense Sequestration: Don't Shoot the Hostage
- Senate Must Pass Sequestration Transparency
- Defense Contractors Speak Out Against Budget Cuts
- Study: Sequestration Could Wipe Out As Many Jobs As Recovery Has Created
- McKeon: Democrats Living in a 'Fantasy' on Impending Defense Budget Cuts
- Collateral Damage: The Pentagon Has Become A Hostage in the War Over the Deficit
- Sequester Fears Paralyze Would-Be Wave of Defense Acquisitions
- Opinion: Heading Off Sequestration, by Senator Roger Wicker
- Opinion: Congress must stop automatic defense cuts
- OMB Director will tesity at congressional hearing on effect of sequestration cuts
- HASC Chairman McKeon on the Dangers of Sequestration on Fox News (YouTube Clip)
- Defense Cutbacks Hinder Economy
- Buck McKeon Sounds Alarm on Sequestration
- How To Handle Our Long Term Debt
- Lift the Veil on the Spending Cuts
- Big Deal to Stave off Cuts is Elusive
