Influence Alley

The impending sequestration cuts are not lost on health care lobbyists, who are undertaking an intense effort to persuade Congress to stop them, National Journal Daily reports today.

Here's what's going on, writes Meghan McCarthy:

Although most of Washington expects that Congress will delay the automatic $1.2 trillion in cuts to government spending before the end of this year, health lobbying groups from myriad industries are taking the threat seriously. And they are letting lawmakers and their staff know about the consequences of letting the automatic cuts hit--making their case directly to politicians, rather than to the voters who will decide whether to keep them in office.

One point that bolsters the lobbyists' argument? Jobs. The American Nurses Association is running an ad in Hill publications now that warns that the sequesters cuts could cost $766,000 jobs.

"In this economy, that's a pill few lawmakers will want to swallow," McCarthy writes.