White House says it could also feel sting of spending cuts

WASHINGTON: In the latest dire warning about the effects of automatic government spending cuts known as the "sequester," an Obama administration official said on Wednesday that not even the White House's own operations will be spared.

"The Executive Office of the President is subject to the sequester, and we anticipate significant disruption to our operations and mission, which could include furloughs," said the official, who did not provide further details.

President Barack Obama has been sounding the alarm about the impact of the $85 billion in automatic across-the-board government spending cuts set to take effect on March 1.

The White House has talked about potential layoffs for a broad spectrum of federal employees such as emergency workers, preschool teachers and meat inspectors to illustrate the impact, part of an effort to spur congressional Republicans to negotiate with Democrats to avert the cuts.

Some analysts have said the fears are overplayed and expect few immediate outward signs of the cuts on March 1.