President Obama’s deficit plan welcomed by child advocates

Today President Obama’s released a plan to tackle the nation’s deficit, and child advocates have plenty to be happy about. That’s because the Obama administration is telling Congress to get serious about shared sacrifice in balancing the budget, insisting that the wealthiest Americans pay their share.

The proposal you’ll probably hear the most about is the “Buffett rule,” named after Warren Buffett, which would ensure that upper earners pay a similar amount on their taxes as the middle class. This is prompted in part by advocacy by Buffett, who shocked many when he explained that as a top earner, he actually pays a far smaller share of his income in taxes than anyone else working in his office.

The Buffett rule and shared sacrifice efforts ensure that we don’t put the whole burden of the national deficit on children, whose programs often make soft targets for budget conscious policymakers. You can speak out for smart investments in kids through our infographics campaign; this week’s infographic is about juvenile justice!