The sequester is a blunt budget tool which leaves no room to prioritize spending. Policy analyst Bruce Katz said, “You can cut ‘dumb’, you can cut ‘smart’. Sequestration across the board sounds to me like a ‘cut dumb’ strategy.”

But White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says the sequester’s painful consequences are intentional, and needed, to force Congress to act. “It was designed with a specific purpose in mind, which was to [force Congress to act]," he said.

Congress may try to pass legislation blocking the spending cuts. President Obama says a new budget plan is welcome, but only if it reduces the deficit as much as the sequester. “Already, some in Congress are trying to undo these automatic spending cuts. My message is simple: No. I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts," he said.

The veto threat could set the stage for another budget battle next year, when President Obama, all House seats, and one-third of the Senate are up for election.