Governor to Address Looming Sequestration Impacts on Hawai’i

Governor Neil Abercrombie. Courtesy file photo.

By Wendy Osher

As federal sequestration measures are scheduled to take affect by midnight, Gov. Neil Abercrombie and state Finance Director Kalbert Young will hold a news conference regarding Hawaii’s response to the automatic nationwide spending reductions.

Today, President Barack Obama urged Congress to take a responsible approach to deficit reduction as the nation faces a sequestration deadline and potential $85 billion in automatic spending cuts.

Hawaii’s senatorial delegates in Washington said the impacts of across-the-board-cuts would hurt middle-class families.

US Senator Brian Schatz said the cuts can be averted through smart reductions in domestic and defense spending, and by closing tax loopholes. Fellow US Senator Mazie K. Hirono called the proposed cuts bad for national security, the economy and jobs.

Those in Washington remained deadlocked today over the issue, failing to reach a deal on how to avert the automatic spending cuts. 

The governor’s news conference will be webcast live at 1:30 p.m. today, Friday, March 1, 2013 at: http://governor.hawaii.gov/