Dive Summary:
- A 394-page report released Friday by the White House Office of Management and Budget details impending cuts on agencies across the federal government, including most programs related to higher education.
- The $109 billion in overall cuts for 2013 are part of $1.2 trillion in required cuts over the next 10 years, and if Congress fails to halt them before January 2, most federal spending on higher education would be reduced by 8.2% (for discretionary programs) or 7.6% (for mandatory programs).
- The automatic cuts were enacted last year as part of the Budget Control Act with the intention of encouraging Congress to compromise on deficit reduction, and senior White House officials insist that the Obama administration doesn't support the "deeply destructive" cuts, which were never meant to be implemented.
From the article:
The dire consequences of looming automatic cuts in the federal budget came into sharper focus on Friday with the release of a 394-page report by the White House Office of Management and Budget. The report contains preliminary details of cuts set to fall on agencies across the federal government, including most programs related to higher education. ...