Scott Questions Nat'l Guard Furloughs With Storm In Atlantic
MIAMI (CBSMiami/NSF) – Governor Rick Scott is using the possibility of Tropical Storm Chantal impacting Florida's coast by this weekend to question sequestration implemented by Congress and the White House earlier this year.
Specifically, Governor Scott is calling out the government and the National Guard for the decision to furlough some troops and staff during the year, the News Service of Florida.
"The problem is you're losing training time, you're losing preparation time," Scott said while appearing Monday on WOKV radio in Jacksonville. "When will the National Guard make the decision that we stop the furloughs? Right after the hurricane hits?"
A spokesman for the National Guard was not available Monday morning for comment, according to the News Service of Florida.
The once-a-week furloughs of roughly 1,000 National Guard employees are in place due to budget cuts implemented by budget sequestration.
The furloughs, as of July 8, are expected to continue through September.
South Florida is on the western side of the forecast cone for Tropical Storm Chantal starting Saturday.
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