We saw in the chapter opener that during 2013, Congress and President Obama were unable to reach an agreement to avoid the sequester, which involved a series of automatic cuts in federal government purchases. In testifying before Congress, then Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said that the sequester "could create a significant headwind for the economic recovery."
a. What did Bernanke mean by a "headwind"?
b. Why would the sequester create a headwind for the economic recovery?