In a letter sent to university leaders earlier today, Peter McPherson, President of APLU, addressed the ongoing issues related to the federal budget and sequestration. Below is an excerpt from today’s letter:

Last week before leaving for a month-long summer recess, Congress came to an agreement with the White House on a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded for the first six months of the federal 2013 fiscal year which begins on October 1, 2012. This agreement, likely to be approved by Congress and signed by the President in September, will not prevent the sequestration (across the board cuts) mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 from going into effect on January 2, 2013.  Sequestration is current law and it will happen, unless Congress and the President agree on a plan to stop it. 

Several weeks ago Chancellor Linda Brady joined more than 130 APLU presidents and chancellors who endorsed the letter to President Obama and Congressional leaders urging bipartisan leadership to reach a balanced long-term deficit reduction agreement and prevent the indiscriminate cuts of sequestration. The letter has received some good press attention including: Politico, Inside Higher Ed, among others.

UNCG will continue to work with APLU, UNC General Administration and campuses throughout the UNC System to ensure leaders in Washington are well aware of the drastic impact sequestration will have on both the defense community and non-defense discretionary expenditures, such as education and research.

For additional information on sequestration, please visit the APLU website or contact Mike Tarrant in UNCG’s Office of Government Relations.