At this point, I don’t know if there’s literally anything that will persuade congressional Republicans to scrap the dangerous sequestration policy they’re so fond of. The drastic cuts are taking a terrible toll on the nation — hurting everything from the economy to cancer clinics to education — but so far, GOP lawmakers are content to let the damage from the policy continue.
That said, if anything might make Republicans give this stupid policy another look, it’s the effect on the military. American Forces Press Service had this interesting item today (via Amanda Terkel).
One of the dangers of sequestration is the amount of attention spent on managing budgets and finances rather than airmen focusing on training and their jobs, the commander of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command said here today.
Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva met with reporters of the Defense Writers Group to discuss the impacts of sequestration on his command.
“Because of the way the sequester was built in law, it consumes a disproportionate share of our time,” he explained. “Unless something changes — if there’s no budget agreement in [fiscal 2014] and beyond — it consumes a whole lot more of our time than budgets would normally.”
Selva added, “The sequester has consumed intellectual effort across the enterprise, from the youngest airman on the flightline to my desk.”
Presumably, Congress can probably think of better ways the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command can spend its time. Quite a few stories like this have crossed the radar (so to speak). The Navy has canceled all Blue Angels performances for the remainder of 2013 citing sequestration and Fleet Week is on hold, too. Sure, some of this has more to do with ceremony than national security, but I don’t imagine there will be many members of Congress eager to brag about these developments, either.
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