Child advocates voice opposition to sweeping federal budget cuts

WASHINGTON – Voices for America’s Children, the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy groups, today criticized the House leadership’s bill to raise the debt ceiling, citing deep cuts the legislation would make to programs children and families depend on.

The plan, led by House Speaker John Boehner, would cut $915 billion from federal government agencies over 10 years, with another round of cuts to follow later this year. Much of that funding supports vital services for children, Voices and its allies pointed out.

“Congress must raise the debt ceiling, but it must also think of the millions of children who depend on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs for protection,” said Bill Bentley, president and CEO of Voices for America’s Children. “With the unemployment rate still over 9 percent, families need Washington to pass a bill that minimizes harm to children and families.”

Child advocates in the Voices for America’s Children network spoke out nationwide against the Boehner debt ceiling bill.

“Congress isn’t responding to our debt issue with children and families in mind. In fact, I wonder if they are ignoring the impact the proposed cuts would have on them,” said Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a member organization of Voices for America’s Children. “The Speaker’s plan asks those who have so little to carry the burden of deficit reduction while refusing to ask corporations and millionaires to contribute to the public systems that help make them successful. That’s not right.”

Boehner’s bill also calls for a vote on a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Child advocates continue to oppose federal balanced budget measures because they can impose automatic cuts to child services – exempting Congress from having to make the hard decisions themselves over whether American children should suffer.

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As the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy organizations, Voices for America’s Children (Voices) has been on the forefront of every major child policy victory for the past quarter-century. With 62 members nationwide, Voices speaks up for kids, and mobilizes and advocates for public policies to improve the lives of all children, especially those most vulnerable, throughout the United States. Visit us at www.voices.org.

Voices is a founding member of the Children’s Leadership Council, a coalition of more than 50 leading national policy and advocacy organizations. www.childrensleadershipcouncil.com.