SPECIAL REPORT

The Threat of Sequestration

As Congress and the White House wrangle over long-term fiscal issues, the prospect looms of automatic, across the board cuts in discretionary federal spending -- a process known as sequestration. Check back to this page often for the latest updates on how the situation is unfolding.

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SPECIAL REPORT

A Customs and Border Protection officer walks through a line of cars at a crossing from Canada near Blaine, Wash.

Customs and Border Employees Escape Furloughs

1:45 PM ET Appropriators approve transfer of funds so agency can avoid unpaid leave through September.

Sequestration may cancel some July 4 celebrations.

Is a Sequester Tipping Point Coming?

June 17 Sequestration was overhyped and the deluge never came. But it may begin to pour this summer.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter

Pentagon Preparing Two Budget Plans for Fiscal 2014

June 12 Sequestration cuts are ‘embarrassing,’ could require sharp workforce reductions, official says.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said civilian furloughs at the Defense Department have a “direct link” to higher-than-anticipated costs caused by the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

Ask Us for More Money to Fill Defense Budget Holes, Senator Says

June 11 Furloughs directly linked to unexpected war spending, Susan Collins says.

Senate Defense subcommittee Chairman Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.

Has Sequestration Hit Defense Contractors Hard Enough?

June 11 Senator wants to know if federal civilians are shouldering too much of the burden.

Defense Civilians Make Last Ditch Effort to End Furloughs

June 10 Online petition says feds have borne the brunt of cuts over the last three years.

Video: Guitar Playing NIH Director Nails ‘The Sequester Blues’

June 6 Sequestration got you down? This might cheer you up.

CBP asked congressional appropriators in May for permission to transfer money within its budget to avoid furloughing employees through Sept. 30.

Preserve CBP Overtime While Canceling Furloughs, Lawmaker Says

June 6 Overtime elimination is ‘window of opportunity for criminals,’ lawmaker says.

MSPB Could Face ‘Unprecedented’ Wave of Furlough Appeals

June 5 Union encouraging members to challenge all furlough decisions.

Defense Undersecretary for Policy James Miller

Pentagon Issues Priority List for Summer Furlough Period

June 5 ‘Must-dos’ stress crises and natural disasters.

Remember Not to Work for Contractors While on Furlough, Army Says

June 4 Furlough guidance cautions against conflicts of interest.

Air Force Exempting Oklahoma Tornado Victims From Furloughs

June 3 It’s the ‘right thing to do,’ says Air Force Secretary Michael Donley.

Acting Commerce Undersecretary Kathryn Sullivan told employees that department officials were able to obtain budget flexibility, allowing the agency to avoid furloughs for all 12,000 of its employees.

NOAA Cancels Planned Employee Furloughs

June 3 Agency wins additional flexibility after deadly tornadoes.

One Solution to Sequestration: Slash Tens of Thousands of Defense Jobs

May 30 Money could then be shifted to emerging priorities like cybersecurity, space and the pivot to Asia, think tanks find.

Air traffic controllers will be among those furloughed.

Furlough Watch: Agency-by-Agency Impacts of Sequestration

May 30 Some agencies are avoiding unpaid leave altogether, while others require days of it.

Agencies Post Job Openings Despite Sequester

May 29 Departments defend the practice; OPM distinguishes postings from hires.

Who Is Subject to Defense Furloughs?

May 28 A look at the web of exceptions to mandatory unpaid leave.

Broadcasting Board of Governors Offers Buyouts to Avoid Furloughs

May 28 ‘Many’ employees are eligible for up to $25,000 in departure compensation.

Nuclear Arsenal Subject to Pentagon Cuts, But New Subs May Escape Ax

May 24 Budget scrub will advise Hagel by late this month on how best to apportion $500 billion in congressionally mandated funding reductions over the next decade.