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MARQUETTE -- Still no sequester agreement in sight. Starting Friday, $85 billion in federal government cuts will take effect.

The cuts are the result of a failure to establish a federal budget. Both houses of Congress agreed to the significant cuts in 2011 following the difficult process it took to raise the debt ceiling.

We spoke with representatives from both parties about what's stopping a compromise.

"And the Senate is not satisfied, and in this case, it's probable the president is not satisfied," said Alger County Democratic Party Treasurer Dan Herman. "I don't understand, I don't see where the House of Representatives gets off saying the problem is not us, the problem is the Senate."

"We've passed in the House two pieces of legislation last year that would have, you know, avoided the sequester, and the Senate didn't take either of them up. They didn't pass a bill of their own. It just shows the dysfunction in Washington," said Congressman Dan Benishek.

The congressman added that he expects the House of Representatives to pass another piece of legislation to avoid some aspects of sequestration next week. He said it's unclear whether the Senate will pass legislation as well.