Fattah sees a replacement for sequestration emerging within days of the March 1 deadline.
Defense industry analyst Jim McAleese foresees the penalty taking hold for at least two weeks to a month. He says the White House is “sweetening” its compromise on the sequester. It would offer $930 billion in spending cuts, $580 billion in tax reforms and $290 billion in savings on interest payments. “This is a significant development,” he says, adding that it “sets the stage for endgame negotiations in March.”