The sequester had Washington, D.C on edge last week, with likely cuts threatening to put countless federal employees out of work. That includes a large majority concentrated in the D.C. area. While the cuts haven’t come yet, Takeaway political correspondent Todd Zwillich reports that the sequester deadline will probably come and go, automatically enacting those across-the-board spending drawdowns.
But cuts will have a wider reach, affecting many industries throughout all parts of the United States. For example, the USDA will likely have to furlough many of their food inspectors. And if farms and factories can’t be inspected, they can’t produce meat. Ranchers close their gates, and the price of bacon goes through the roof. Mark Dopp is Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the American Meat Institute.