COLUMBUS, Ohio – The package of automatic federal budget cuts is looming, with Ohio poised to take a major blow.

The White House released a report yesterday, detailing the impact of sequestration on the state.

Republicans in Ohio’s congressional delegation say the report is a scare tactic, aimed at getting lawmakers to approve tax hikes.

More than $65 million in federal funds would be cut to Ohio if sequestration takes effect Friday, with education, environmental protection and the military taking the largest hits.

Ohio will lose approximately $25.1 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 350 teacher and aide jobs at risk, according to the White House.

Approximately 26,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, 9,000 of whom the “Columbus Dispatch” reports are at work at the Defense DSCC in Whitehall.

The report says the state would also lose about $6.9 million in environmental funding to ensure clean water and air quality and another $981,000 in grants for fish and wildlife protection.

The White House report says sequestration means an annual reduction of approximately 8 percent for defense programs and 5 percent for nondefense programs.