The Effects of Sequestration on Federal Spending

Veronique de Rugy | Feb 27, 2013

This chart uses the most recent Congressional Budget Office figures to show the effects of the sequester, or automatic spending reductions, on federal spending over the next ten years.

While the sequester is widely advertised as cutting spending over a ten year period, there is no actual reduction in overall spending levels. Rather, the sequester slows the overall growth in spending slightly between 2013 and 2023, with spending increasing by $2.40 trillion during that time period. Spending grows 51 percent, or $1.81 trillion, with sequestration between 2013 and 2021, the period when automatic spending procedures are to be enforced.http://mercatus.org/publication/effects-sequestration-federal-spending