This morning, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) released a list of 70 budget cuts committee Republicans will propose for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011. The first round of cuts, found here, are just the start of what will total $74 billion in reductions between today and February 14th, when the House will issue its proposal to fund the government through 2011.
A number of departments and agencies with NFFE-represented employees will be affected, including the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Job Training Programs. The proposed cuts are as follows:
U.S. Forest Service -$38 million; National Park Service -$51M; HUD Community Development Fund -$530M; Job Training Programs -$2B; USGS -$27M; and NOAA -$336 million.
These cuts represent potentially thousands of lost jobs and a steep decline in the services these agencies provide to the American people. It will also have a potentially disastrous impact on numerous small rural communities throughout the country that rely on federally funded programs for their survival.
The illustrative list does not go into detail as to how the cuts will be targeted within most agencies, but greater details could emerge in the coming days. NFFE will be doing everything in its power to ensure that our members have the vital resources they need to deliver critical services to the American people.