Damaging spending cuts known as "sequestration" are set to kick in at the beginning of 2013, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, if this happens we're likely go into recession again within months. But sequestration is not inevitable - it's just a law, passed by Congress in 2011. Congress passed the "fiscal cliff" and Congress can simply vote to repeal it now.

While the news and political leaders are talking about needing to reach a "deal" to avoid these cuts, no deal is required if they simply decide to repeal this law. Nobody thinks it's a good idea, but some in Congress believe they can get their way by threatening not to repeal this sequestration unless others agree to a "deal", giving them what they want.

We don't need this brinkmanship. We need Congress to repeal sequestration and prevent the "fiscal cliff" - something everyone agrees would be better than letting it happen. If Americans knew this was a contrived crisis that Congress created for itself, and could repeal with a simple vote and no deal, we'd demand that Congress do that. Share this so more people realize that, and call on Congress to repeal it.