Contact:
Ed Walz
202-657-0685 (office)
edw@firstfocus.net

Washington – A comprehensive analysis released today by First Focus finds that the House Budget Committee’s proposed federal fiscal year 2013 budget resolution puts billions in federal funding for critical children’s initiatives at risk. While the committee has released only summary data, a review of available information shows that children’s health alone would lose more than $190 billion over ten years. This includes nearly $30 billion in cuts to the popular, bipartisan, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

“CHIP and Medicaid have been an American success story for fifteen years. Because of a bipartisan commitment, uninsurance among kids is at record lows, despite a bad economy. This budget throws that track record of progress away,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus.

The analysis also shows that other children’s priorities will face deep and damaging cuts. Cuts to children’s nutrition would total more than $61 billion over ten years. If applied proportionally, the proposal’s immediate cuts to the discretionary budget would cut investments in children by nearly $4.2 billion. The discretionary budget includes children’s priorities like education and housing.

“Schools already face budget cuts, foreclosures have cost millions of children their homes, and kids all over the country don’t know where their next meal will come from. This budget will make every one of those problems worse,” said Lesley.

The proposal also imposes “reconciliation instructions” on congressional committees with jurisdiction over other critical investments in America’s children, such as child nutrition, children’s health and protection from harmful chemicals, housing for children, juvenile justice, education, and tax credits that keep families stable during tough economic times. If adopted, it would require these committees to develop an additional $331 billion in additional cuts over a ten-year period.

“This election-year budget puts politics ahead of kids. It’s time for the politicians to stop pointing fingers and start solving problems,” said Lesley.