Most of the discussion was serious on Feb. 11 when U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (left) met informally with the members of the Montgomery County Council Much of the meeting focused on the consequences of sequestration—deep automatic spending cuts that will kick in if Congress doesn’t agree to a deficit-reduction plan by March 1. Senator Mikulski said if the cuts went into effect, the impact on Montgomery County—which is home to many federal agencies and has many workers in federal positions—could “be dire.” Listening intently to the Senator, clockwise, were: Council President Nancy Navarro, George Leventhal, Council Vice President Craig Rice, Marc Elrich, Phil Andrews, Nancy Floreen and Roger Berliner. Councilmembers emphasized to Senator Mikulski that funding for the County’s transportation needs was Montgomery’s top priority.