Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- An economist at USC says he expects the sequester to go forward but is unsure how long it will last.
With Federal cuts beginning at Midnight, Dr. Bill Hauk, an assistant professor at the Moore School of Business says many questions remain unanswered in our country's fiscal future.
"The sequester was really designed to be a very difficult and painful policy," said Hauk. "The biggest question is, can we find a better way to do this?"
The USC economist tells News 19 while he believes cuts need to be made to reduce our nation's debt, he doesn't think the sequester is the proper way to go about it.
"It was really designed so much to cut the budget as it was to give congress and the President incentive to negotiate a budget solution."
While Hauk believes the sequester will go forward, he doesn't think it will continue past the next week.
"The sequester very well may hit tonight but within the next couple of days they'll will come up, not with really a comprehensive budget deal, but at least with some sort of temporary agreement to restore funding to areas that are cut," said Hauk.
As for the long term effects on the economy, Hauk believes it is all dependant on how quickly lawmakers can come to an agreement.
"The longer it drags out, the larger and larger impact you are going to see on the broader economy."