Military cuts could shrink economies

KILLEEN (KXAN) - Sequester budget cuts could take a big bite out of the military budget that will be felt even beyond military installments.

Representatives Roger Williams and John Carter were at Fort Hood on Friday to give warning about what could result from sequester cuts.

Williams and Carter are proposing two alternative resolutions, HR 5652 and HR 6684 , to ease the burden of sequester cuts on the military.

“It is a terrible idea as relates to the military,” Carter said.

Fort Hood is estimated to lose nearly $291 million in cuts, which could lead to furloughs for nearly 6,000 civilian employees and 600 layoffs.

Training may also be scaled back.

“It is bad for our military. There is no getting around it," Williams said. "Good programs will be cut and good people will be furloughed.”

The potential impact would not stop at Fort Hood. The economy for the entire area would shrink and burden business owners.

“Customers are talking about it,” said Whan Jung, the owner of Henderson’s Family Restaurant in Killeen. “Local friends in small business like me are very worried.”

The worry is the money cut from Fort Hood is money that ultimately would have trickled down to small business cash boxes.

With a chunk of the local economy cut, Jung and others worry layoffs may be necessary even beyond Fort Hood.