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Monday June 13, 2011
Don’t Let Congress Devastate Critical Programs for Children and Youth!
Dear Friend of PCCY:
While city and state budget battles rage on all over the country, we can’t lose sight of federal budget negotiations. Congress is considering several extreme budget proposals, from the Ryan and Toomey plans the Senate wisely rejected last week, to global spending cap legislation and balanced budget amendments still to come.
Proposals such as these would force massive cuts in essential services like Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP/food stamps, CHIP, child care, education, housing, and virtually every other program for children and youth. For example, the House constitutional balanced budget amendment would force Congress to enact an extreme budget plan that would:
- Slash Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program by $1.5 trillion over the next ten years;
- Cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) by a remarkable $350 billion — 50 percent — over ten years, and
- Cut at least $86 billion over ten years from Pell Grants, which help low-income students afford college
While the federal budget is complex, our priorities need not be. The well-being of our nation’s children is a non-negotiable priority. Programs that help children stay healthy, strong, and prepare for their – and our – future must be protected.
Congressional leaders need to hear from you as they consider how to craft a budget that helps our children prepare for a prosperous future. Please take three minutes to call your Senator AND Representative today. Click here for the name and contact information of your Senator and Representative. Tell him or her to:
- REJECT global spending caps and balanced budget amendments that sound harmless but would force massive cuts in Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP and other programs for children and youth.
- FIGHT for a BALANCED approach to deficit reduction that includes raising revenues necessary to protect critical supports for children. Children’s well-being should not be sacrificed in order to protect tax cuts for millionaires and special interest tax breaks for powerful corporations.
If you prefer to send an email, click here for a sample message.
Your calls and letters make a difference! As federal budget negotiations move ahead, we cannot allow our legislators to forget that children are a priority!
Thank you,
Shelly Yanoff
Executive Director
About this E-Alert
In an effort to keep our friends and colleagues up-to-date on what’s going on with children and families in our region, PCCY will, from time to time, issue an E-Alert on an issue that we need YOU to take action on! We will provide you with the information on the issues and we need you to take the action step(s) that are listed above.
We hope that you will join us in helping to protect the lives and life chances of children and families in our region by doing something TODAY to help protect their tomorrows. However, if you would like to be removed from the e-mail list and receive no further updates, please send an e-mail to info@pccy.org.
President: Carolyn Adams
Executive Director: Shelly D. Yanoff
Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY)
1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Sixth Floor
Philadelphia, Pa 1910
Phone: 215-563-5848
Fax: 215-563-9442
Website: www.pccy.org
E-mail: info@pccy.org
Webmaster: Steven Fynes
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