After a contentious political tug-of-war over specific provisions, a budget deal has been struck in the U.S. congress. President Obama has said that he will sign the bill into law. The agreement, which came just in time to avoid an unprecedented United States credit default, calls for over a trillion dollars in cuts over the next decade.
What this means for Utahns exactly remains to be seen, but locals will certainly begin to see reductions in certain services and programs as the new changes are enacted.
One major concern of locals is whether UTA will still receive previously allocated funding for their current and future transit projects, like TRAX line extensions. The proposed projects will still move forward no matter what happens, but could be significantly slowed if Congress's belt-tightening results in loss of transit funding.
Also at risk are government jobs and social programs, and many Utahns are anxious as they await word on just how the deep cuts will affect them. President Obama is expected to address the nation on Tuesday regarding the particulars of the new budget deal.
Governor Gary Herbert's office has said that they, too, are unsure of the specific repercussions that Utah will see after the new national budget is implemented. They also said, however, that Utah lawmakers are prepared with alternative measures if vital funding is cut. According to Representative Ken Ivory of Utah, "We're still going to take care of our poor people in Utah...That's just what we do."
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