Write a Letter to the Editor Rejecting House Republican Budget Cuts
On May 10, the House passed legislation to cut billions in spending that would:
- Cut SNAP (formerly food stamps) by $33 billion. This would result in large cuts to services and enrollment. SNAP lifted 4.4 million people out of poverty in 2010.
- Cut the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Together, the Earned Income Tax Credit and CTC lifted 9.3 million people out of poverty in 2010.
- Jeopardize child care assistance for 4 million children through cuts to the Social Services Block Grant.
- Cut Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by $113 billion.
This graphic, put together by Half in Ten: the Campaign to Cut Poverty in Half in Ten Years, focuses on what the proposed House cuts could mean for children. Share this with others in your community to illustrate what’s at stake – often, visuals like these are more effective than just facts and figures.
In addition, the House Budget proposal passed in May cuts spending on discretionary programs (those appropriated annually by Congress) by $19 billion next year below the levels agreed to in last summer's budget deal. This could lead to cuts to programs such as Head Start, child care and WIC. To add insult to injury, the House Republican Budget would use most the savings from these cuts to enact $4.3 trillion in tax cuts for wealthy Americans and corporations. This budget is not just radical, it is cruel. And it is wrong for America.
TAKE ACTION: Send a letter to the editor to your local newspaper urging lawmakers to reject the House Republican Budget. Tell readers that it hurts children and families, worsens income inequality, and increases poverty.
For more on why media coverage matters and additional talking points to tailor your letter, see RESULTS' May Action Sheet.
