Congress has been working to construct a budget deal that will avoid sequestration, the $500 billion cuts in defense spending, but the most recent proposal has been met with a quick veto threat from the Obama administration. Though the bill would avoid the expensive cuts, the White House rejected it because it was not a balanced approach, Defense News reports.
The disagreement over the bill, the National Security and Job Protection Act, is one that has been fought in Washington over much of the last several years. Both parties agree concessions need to be made, but they have yet to agree on how to balance spending cuts with revenue increases.
Perhaps most significantly, President Barack Obama rejects the bill, which cuts about $19 billion from discretionary spending, because of what it would to do the United States domestically. Specifically, it contains "destructive cuts in investments critical to the nation's economic future, ranging from education to research and develop infrastructure," the White House said.
Though seemingly at an impasse, it's critical for Congress to reach an agreement to avoid the half-trillion dollar cuts. Aside from the sheer size, they would be applied by taking a percentage of each non-exempt area, which could have an impact on everything from health benefits to integral military programs.