Unless Congress acts, federal construction programs face cuts totaling hundreds of millions of dollars on Jan. 2. The 2011 Budget Control Act mandates $1.2 trillion in "sequestration" cuts over 10 years because the House and Senate failed to pass a deficit-reduction plan last year.
The 2013 sequestration share is $109 billion, which would be split between defense and non-defense sectors. An Office of Management and Budget report, released on Sept. 14, estimates individual defense accounts would be sliced 9.4% and non-defense programs would face 8.2% cuts.