WASHINGTON (AP) — Governors are becoming prominent voices in the
fight to cut the federal deficit, warning that Capitol Hill's latest budget
stalemate is causing fresh uncertainty that threatens economic progress.
State leaders attending the annual meeting of the National
Governors Association joined ranks Friday to condemn the massive automatic
spending cuts that are set to begin March 1.
The Obama administration said failure to avert the cuts could
lead to widespread flight delays, shuttered airports, off-limit seashores and
the furloughing of hundreds of thousands employees.
"It is not helpful when Congress and the president and the
administration have such partisan gridlock," said Oklahoma Gov. Mary
Fallin, a Republican and former member of Congress. "Because their
gridlock has real repercussions on the families ... it has real repercussions
on our states and our economies."
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, chairman of the Democratic Governors
Association, said the nation "cannot afford to put at risk jobs and the
recovery."
"The only thing that's standing in the way of prosperity
right now is the games being played by the Republicans in Congress," he
said following a meeting between Democratic governors and President Barack
Obama.
At their weekend meetings, governors planned to focus on jobs
and the economy, gun control and the new health care law.
Some Republican governors have blocked the use of Medicaid to
expand health insurance coverage for millions of the uninsured. Others have
joined Democrats in a wholesale expansion as the law allows.
But no issue carries the same level of urgency as the budget
impasse.
Congressional leaders have indicated a willingness to let the
cuts take effect and stay in place for weeks, if not much longer.
The cuts would trim $85 billion in domestic and defense
spending, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of workers at the
Transportation Department, Defense Department and elsewhere.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the cuts would harm the
readiness of U.S. fighting forces.
Obama has stepped up efforts to tell the public about the
negative impact, and tried to pressure Republicans who oppose his approach of
targeted savings and tax increases to tackle deficits.
Republicans responded sharply to the president's fresh demand to
include higher taxes as part of a compromise.
"Spending is the problem, spending must be the focus,"
said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said "there
won't be any easy off-ramps on this one. The days of 11th hour negotiations are
over."
But governors aren't yet resigned to the worst-case scenario.
"I think there should be limited government, but I don't
like random changes. If you look at my budget, I didn't do across the board
cuts," said Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican. "I think you
should be more strategic."
The looming cuts were never supposed to happen. They were
intended to be a fallback in case a special deficit reduction committee failed
to come up with $1 trillion or more in savings from benefit programs.
While Washington Republicans blame the White House for creating
the plan, they joined Democrats in voting it into law.
There was little Obama-bashing from Republican governors on
Friday. But there was plenty of frustration.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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