In the words of President Obama, the sequester, "Could hurt a lot of people." It could also trigger military cuts. People in Kings County are worried about that and the affects it could have on the navy base in Lemoore.
Hanford Resident, Patricia Lewis said, "It'll affect any county that supports a military base, not just the navy here... all over the country."
Lewis has strong military ties, she's a veteran and she's paying close attention to Congress. If members can't come up with a budget deal by March 1st, automatic spending cuts will go into effect. For the Navy, that could mean a huge loss of contractor jobs.
Lewis said, "If they try to draw down the people, they're going to be put on the economy as unemployed and that's going to be putting stress on the economy."
We contacted the base in Lemoore but a spokesperson couldn't say much. She admitted the sequester could have an impact but the Navy is in a holding pattern, waiting to see what happens.
Richard Garcia, an Army vet in Hanford says he just hopes the cuts don't affect our military strength, "We definitely need the power and the strength... take away from that and we don't have nothing here."
The deadline is just eight days away. Still, no one is completely sure what will happen or how many jobs could be lost. Congress isn't in session this week. Members will return Monday and will have just four days to figure something out.
Everyday government jobs are expected to take the biggest hit. Jobs like TSA, FBI and border patrol agents. Every budget from education to Meals on Wheels would also be impacted.
TXT 24
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