Hanna: Sequestion Impact At Rome Labs, DFAS A Few Weeks Away

It'll be at least a few weeks before sequestration has a job impact on military assets at Griffiss Business and Technology Park, according to Congressman Richard Hanna.

Cut are slated to hit installations like DFAS - 'the bill paying arm of the armed service' - Rome Labs and Eastern Air Defense, but  ''one of the things people don't realize is that it will roll in slowly. It'll take about 47 days with the furloughing process and the notification process.

''If people [locally] do start getting laid off, and I say 'if', we won't notice it for a few more weeks,'' Hanna said.

The Republican congressman says the Department of Defense will likely be able to manage some of the cuts - up to 17% - so they can still achieve savings ''without cutting our own throats to do it.''

On the upcoming budget battle between the Senate and the House: ..''you're gonna see the biggest fight you've seen here in a long time.''

Some of the budget conversations among GOP lawmakers include plans to repeal Obama's healthcare bill, something Hanna called a negotiating point, ...'or messaging point' adding that repealing Obamacare is '..not gonna happen.'

Gay Marriage

''Each time I've ran [for office] I've said I support civil unions. You have to respect the fourteenth amendment - equal protection under the law - and the tenth amendment - which is states rights - and these people get married in our state and they don't have access to the same benefits that other couples do, and that's not right.''

''I know it's hard for people to understand that and accept that, but I do believe I know what my job is.''

Hanna added that he believed the Republican party makes a mistake focusing on social issues...''our strength is economic.'' Hanna admits though that he gets 'a lot of push back' regarding his stance on the issue.