As President Obama and Congressional leaders continue their budget discussions, it’s important to understand just how much is at stake for American families. The 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA) placed strict caps on defense and non-defense programs funded through annual appropriations. These caps were then lowered under an automatic process called “sequestration” when Congress failed to enact further deficit reduction. For non-defense appropriations — a category that includes medical and scientific research, aid to education, veterans’ health care, national parks and environmental protection,...