Defense cuts could mean significant job loss for Colorado.
 / FOX21: file photo
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- According to an early estimate the state of Colorado could lose 17, 000 jobs as a result of last year's debt deal.
Congress put a sequester of $1.2 trillion in cuts over 10 years in defense and federal programs that starts Jan. 2, 2013.
"It's hard to put into perspective for our community in Colorado Springs until we know what specific plans are, nobody has any idea what those plans are," Brian Binn, President of Military Affairs for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, said.
The uncertainty of not knowing where the cuts could be is creating problems and frustrations for Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill.
The lack of details means there is no way of planning for the proposed across-the-board cuts.
"Some programs should have higher priority than others, but if you cut them all equally, that's very poor planning," Congressman Doug Lamborn said.
Of the potential 17,000 cuts statewide, Lamborn estimates two thirds of that would impact Colorado Springs and El Paso County.
But Binn said otherwise.
"I don't think it'll be severe. If you look at the mission sets we have here in Colorado Springs there all very high priority," Binn said.
Right now top priority on the hill is to get lawmakers to create and agree on a new plan and stop the Budget Control Act before it automatically cuts military budgets.