Governors, protesters discuss sequestration - KMSP-TV

The blame game continues in Washington, as the clock ticks federally mandated spending cuts. 

Sunday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press," Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana went head-to-head. 

"The President proposed the sequester, he signed it into law, now he doesn't want to make these cuts. The reality is nobody is saying he should make these exact cuts but   we can cut less than three percent of our budget  without hollowing out our military, without jeopardizing air traffic'" said Gov. Jindal. 

"The President has shown that a balanced approach that is about cuts and closing loopholes that enables us to invest in the things that grow jobs, is more important and more appropriate for us at this time," said Gov. Patrick. 

$85 billion in cuts, also known as sequester, will take effect on Friday unless federal lawmakers can pass a new budget deal before then. Both parties agree the country needs to spend less, but where to cut and whether or not to raise taxes as well, have become sticking points. 

The looming sequester led to call for action in Manhattan. 

Elected officials, medical researchers and patients gathered at Weill Cornell Medical College on East 69^th Street, to urge Congress to make a deal. 

Protesters say the impending cuts include a $2.5 billion drop in funding for the National Institutes of Health and that would mean less funding for medical research.