FORT MYERS, FL-- $85 billion, that is how much is at stake if Congress doesn't act on a federal budget in the next ten days and it's being called a "Sequester."
If we get to March 1st without a deal, automatic spending cuts kick in. Federal employees would be furloughed and the trickle down will affect your bottom line.
Lawhons Grocery and Meat market in North Fort Myers has nearly every cut of beef there is. But if the cuts back in Washington take affect in the beginning of March, you could soon pay more for foods like beef and poultry.
"Nobody can afford things going up; fuel is going up, food it going up," said customer Frank Mills.
The Sequester would possibly shutdown numerous meat and poultry plants across the nation for up to 15 days and force many food safety employees to go on furlough which would leave a shortage of meat and poultry.
Lawhons owner, Larry Belanger, says fewer inspectors means a bigger problem than just higher prices.
"The scary part again is its not being inspected the way it should be," said Belanger.
You could also spend even more time at the airport because nearly 4,000 FAA employees, like air traffic controllers, would be furloughed everyday at that could cause even more delays.
"That is just absurd, we shouldn't have to go through those kinds of delays," said flyer Michele Abbott.
More than 14,000 teachers and staff in schools could be laid off from the sequester.
300,000 woman and children would lose food aid from WIC.
Unemployment benefits would be slashed by 9.4% and all FBI workers would be furloughed for up to 14 days.
The Congressional Budget Office says 1.4 million jobs are at stake if sequestration goes in to effect.
Republicans say nearly 80,000 of those jobs would come from right here in Florida.
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