Defense Cuts, Washington Gridlock Focal Points of Kaine-Allen Debate

The two U.S. Senate candidates talked about sequestration and the economy in McLean Thursday.

MCLEAN — The potential $500 billion in defense cuts looming in Washington took center stage Thursday at the Capital One Conference Center during the first of three debates between U.S. Senate candidates Tim Kaine and George Allen. The cuts — $1 trillion in total under the banner of "sequestration" — could cost the Old Dominion thousands of jobs, particularly in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Once meant as a stopgap measure, the continuing partisan divide in Washington has transformed them into a real threat. Kaine, a Democrat and former governor, presented his plan to solve the problem, which largely revolves around ending Bush-era tax cuts to individuals making more than $500,000 annually and cutting subsidies to the five largest …

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