White House Document Shows How the Sequester Will Impact Montana

For over a month now, various federal agencies have leaked hints of how the sequestration will put a damper on their performance. Now, the White House has created a template for every U.S. State to show how it believes the sequester will work itself out.

For Montana, the specific cuts are as follows. All verbiage below courtesy of www.whitehouse.gov.

If sequestration were to take effect, some examples of the impacts on Montana this year alone are:

• Teachers and Schools: Montana will lose approximately $1,536,000 in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 20 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 2,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 20 fewer schools would receive funding.

• Education for Children with Disabilities: In addition, Montana will lose approximately $1,919,000 in funds for about 20 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities.

•  Work-Study Jobs: Around 80 fewer low income students in Montana would receive aid to help them finance the costs of college and fewer students will get work-study jobs that help them pay for college.

•  Head Start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 200 children in Montana, reducing access to critical early education.

• Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water: Montana would lose about $1,237,000 in environmental funding to ensure clean water and air quality, as well as prevent pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste. In addition, Montana could lose another $1,186,000 in grants for fish and wildlife protection.

• Military Readiness: In Montana, approximately 1,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $6.3 million in total.

• Army: Base operation funding would be cut by about $1.6 million in Montana.

• Air Force: Funding for Air Force operations in Montana would be cut by about $2 million.

• Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds for Crime Prevention and Prosecution: Montana will lose about $66,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, and crime victim and witness initiatives.

• Job Search Assistance to Help those in Montana find Employment and Training: Montana will lose about $229,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 8,570 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.

• Child Care: Up to 100 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.

• Vaccines for Children: In Montana around 420 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about $29,000.

• Public Health: Montana will lose approximately $95,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events. In addition, Montana will lose about $330,000 in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 300 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. And the Montana State Department of Health & Environmental Services will lose about $50,000 resulting in around 1,300 fewer HIV tests.

• STOP Violence Against Women Program: Montana could lose up to $20,000 in funds that provide services to victims of domestic violence, resulting in up to 100 fewer victims being served.

• Nutrition Assistance for Seniors: Montana would lose approximately $226,000 in funds that provide meals for seniors.