Rep. Turner talks sequestration

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Local lawmakers are keeping a close eye on sequestration .

The topic brought Congressman Mike Turner to WDTN studios Wednesday.

"With the threat of sequestration and the threat of furloughs Wright Patterson Air Force base, this could not be a more critical time," said Rep. Mike Turner, (R) 10th District.

Turner says the Department of Defense now predicts some 800,000 civilian employees will begin furloughs as early as April.

"I think the translation of that has been we have about 13,000 jobs at risk at Wright Patterson Air Force Base."

He says the implementation timeline is fuzzy, but under federal law, employees must receive a 30 day notice before furloughs can be issued.

"The president has gambled with our national security, he's basically said If you don't agree to cuts elsewhere or increase taxes were going to do this to our national security at a time when, of course, the world is not a safe place."

The president says it is Congress, not him, that have pushed us to this point and he doesn't want the military to suffer either.

"These cuts are not smart, they are not fair. They will hurt our economy," said President Barack Obama.

While on recess this week, Turner says his constituents are frustrated over Congress's inability to compromise, which Turner says is a dangerous game of pushing events to the verge of disaster.

"At this point I think they are very far apart on coming to a solution."

So the question now is in this high stakes game, who will blink first?

"In brinksmanship, you usually have each of the parties with a defined position. In this instance the house has done it's homework, we've delivered our bills the Senate hasn't done their homework and neither has the president. Until they get their work done., there's going to be no ability to come to a solution."

It's also important to note that these cuts are looming as part of a deal to raise the debt ceiling back in 2011.