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MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL

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Montgomery Council President Nancy Navarro and County Executives Urge Congress to Act to Avoid Sequester. Officials Describe Devastating Effects to Local Governments.

Release ID: 13-047
Release Date: 2/19/2013
Contact: Neil Greenberger 240-777-7939 or Delphine Harriston240-777-7931
From: Council Office

Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro today joined Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman to urge Congress to find a way to avoid the sequester that will go into effect on March 1 unless action is taken. The leaders joined together in Rockville to send their united message.

The sequester would have a damaging impact on local economies in Maryland, cutting federal funds and severely impacting federal employees, federal contractors, education, social services and many other areas.

President Navarro, who also chairs the Council’s Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee, said:

As our local and national economy is just beginning to show glimmers of hope toward recovery, the failure to act by Congress could take us backward. Indiscriminate cuts to some of our most vital programs are not the right way to solve our fiscal issues. Republicans in the House need to work with the President to find a balanced approach that responsibly reduces the deficit.

In Montgomery County, we have made the tough decisions to keep our fiscal house in order. The Council and Executive have worked together to carry out our fiscal plan and make structural changes to our budget. We also made difficult choices to raise the revenue necessary to keep our vital services that residents expect. The federal government needs to do the same thing.

It is not only our economy that is at risk if Congress fails to act before March 1. Tens of thousands of young children will be kicked off Head Start and thousands of teachers will lose their jobs. Thousands of researchers working to cure diseases at NIH will be laid off and there will be fewer people making sure the food we eat is safe. Grants for first responders, mental health services and meals for seniors would all be significantly diminished.

I am pleased to join County Executives Leggett, Baker and Ulman in urging the federal government to take meaningful action to reduce our deficit in a responsible and balanced way.

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Last edited: 12/23/2009