Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wy.) said Sunday the sequestration cuts will occur. The Wyoming Republican said that while there are "much better ways" to cut, they will take place on March 1.
"These spending cuts are going to go through on March 1," he said in an interview with Candy Crowley. "Taxes are off the table. I've read the Democratic proposal that even Chuck Schumer said is just a chess piece."
Senate Democrats have proposed keeping in place $55 billion in spending cuts to defense spending and agricultural subsidies, while raising an equal amount of tax revenue through closing the overseas business deduction, the tar sands loophole, and putting in place the Buffett Rule, which even President Obama has admitted is a gimmick.
Meanwhile, more than 100 Democrats signed a letter to the president late last week opposing the use of chained CPI in adjusting Social Security benefits and/or raising the Medicare age as a part of any deal.
"I believe the president has a lot of authority that he can decided how this works," Barrasso went on to say. "Yeah, he can make it very uncomfortable, which I think would be a mistake on the part of the president, but when you take a look at the total dollars, there are better ways to do this, but the cuts are going to occur."