The Child Advocate

Children's Health Cuts

Budget Conferees: Stand Firm Against Kids’ Cuts

Tuesday, April 5, 2005

WASHINGTON – The Senate and House must take a firm stand against any service cuts that

would threaten children’s health, safety and school readiness, urges Voices for America’s

Children, a national child-advocacy organization working to ensure kids are a federal budget

priority.

"We ask Congressional leaders not to make compromises that would hurt children," said

Deborah Stein, federal policy and advocacy director, Voices for America’s Children. "Senate

and House leaders have to ask themselves one question: ‘is this budget good for kids?’ If the

answer is ‘no’, they must reject it because abandoning America’s commitment to children is

the wrong priority."

The House version includes keeping the President’s deep cuts in programs that must be

appropriated annually such as child care and Head Start. Additionally, it contains cuts deeper

than the President’s proposal in Medicaid, Food Stamps, and programs such as the Earned

Income Tax Credit (EITC), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which serves disabled

children, foster care and child support administration.

"If Congressional leaders adopt House cuts to Medicaid, then the states’ ability to maintain

health services will be severely jeopardized, resulting in more children who will not be able to

see a doctor when they are sick," Stein said.

The Senate version of the budget has deep appropriations cuts and proposes tax cuts that

will result in less revenue for children’s programs overall and some cuts to Food Stamps.

"By increasing tax cuts even more than the President’s proposal, the Senate version would

ultimately deplete resources needed to make sure America’s children become healthy, safe,

well-educated and productive citizens," Stein said.

Go to www.voices.org for more information.

Voices for America’s Children is a national organization committed to speaking out for the

well-being of children at the federal, state and local levels.