Sequester Effects Not So Dire

In spite of the doom and gloom promised by the White House, the effects of sequestration have been moderate. The Washington Post checked in on 48 of the administration’s dire predictions of extensive breakdowns in government services and found that just 11 came to fruition and 24 failed to happen; for 13 others, it’s too soon to tell. In large part, the pain failed to materialize because many departments found savings within their budgets (like $45 million meant to house nonexistent detainees by the Justice Department) or Congress and the administration unwound specific cuts or transferred them to lower-priority programs.