Politics & Government

Report: Civilians at Walter Reed Face July Sequestration Furloughs

WTOP: About 2,500 civilians, including caregivers for veterans, will be affected.

More than a third of workers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda face mandatory days off following sequestration cuts that went into effect March 1, WTOP reported.

The center's civilian workforce of about 2,500 recently were told they would be furloughed beginning July 8. Caregivers for wounded veterans are among the group, the radio station said. 

Across-the-board cuts in federal spending, dubbed "the sequester," reduced budgets in education, health, military and law enforcement after Congress failed to reach a budget deal earlier this year.

Find out what's happening in Bethesda-Chevy Chasewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We're now starting to see how the sequester is going to be affecting real people on the ground and, especially now, our military troops that are seeking critical care," Jason Hansman, senior program manager for health with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told WTOP.

Head to WTOP.com for the full report. 

Find out what's happening in Bethesda-Chevy Chasewith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here