Across-the-board cuts to federal spending are in effect as of Friday night as part of the so-called sequester, and two U.S. Congressmen from Central Texas say they are trying to limit the impact on military installations.
Representatives Roger Williams (R-Austin) and John Carter (R-Round Rock) say they want the House of Representatives to pass a special appropriations budget to allow military leaders to control where the cuts happen.
“They’ll still be sequestered, and they’ll still have to pay their share of the cuts," says Carter. "The difference will be that they can decide how they’re going to use the various accounts that they’re working in.”
Texas has more than 131,000 active military personal, more than any other state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And while the sequester may have a major impact on some communities, Comerica Bank chief economist Robert Dye doesn’t expect it to derail the Texas economy.
“Even if we do feel some headwind from the sequester, it’s not going to be strong enough to drive the Texas or the U.S. economy back into recession," says Dye. "There’s too many other positives out there.”
A study from George Mason University say the sequester could cost Texas almost 160,000 jobs and $16 billion in economic output.
