In the News

 

 

 

By Gwen Moore

 

The holiday season is upon us. While some are crossing items from their shopping lists, there are those across America who are wondering how they will heat their homes, purchase food or pay for child care. The year 2013 was difficult, but according to the Center for American Progress, 2014 will be worse.

 

As a member of the House Budget Committee and as someone who has lived in poverty, I understand how our budgetary decisions directly affect American families. This week, the bicameral, bipartisan budget committee will reach its deadline for presenting a budget deal. Should this committee succeed, it is my hope that its compromise finds a solution to the sequester cuts affecting families across this nation. Simply put, Americans cannot afford the sequester.

 

The across-the-board spending cuts known as the "sequester" took effect in March. This reduction has been deeply felt across the nation as struggling families continue to squeeze their resources to support themselves. Though we did not experience immediate economic calamity and family financial ruin as predicted, we must not survey the consequences of these cuts with a myopic lens. What some do not realize is that without a fix, the pain these cuts have caused will continue into 2014 with far greater severity.

 

The sequester has taken $85 billion from defense and non-defense spending this year. Congressional crises since 2010 have constricted our economy and cost Americans 900,000 jobs. According to Macroeconomic Advisors, when including the sequester and the Budget Control Act cuts, our economy has lost approximately $700 billion. Yet the sequester alone is having real-life effects for many across our nation.

 

In Wisconsin, these cuts have jeopardized the education and well-being of hundreds of children. Due to a 5.27% cut, Head Start programs throughout Wisconsin were forced to deny admittance to 822 children and reduce their service by 18,758 days at center-based facilities. At a minimum, our children deserve to begin their formal education journey at the starting line. I am deeply concerned about those students who have had this educational opportunity stolen from them.

 

Among a host of other needs exacerbated by the sequester, the Journal Sentinel reported that it has become increasingly difficult to secure Milwaukee public housing for those in need. Approximately 40% of children live in poverty.

 

Facing the pain and uncertainty caused by deep spending reductions, some government agencies and government-funded programs have been able to survive. As reported by the Huffington Post, some organizations were able to use their rainy day funds to mitigate the effects of the spending cuts. However, as those funds dwindle, the need to replace the sequester is even more urgent. Many may not realize what lies just beyond the new year, but a storm is quickly approaching.

 

Despite this reality, all is not lost. Just as legislators created the sequester, they can eliminate it and prevent needless suffering. The aforementioned bipartisan, bicameral budget conference committee is charged with accomplishing just that. This significant and vitally important task will only be completed through compromise — something Washington has noticeably lacked. Yet even in this partisan environment, hope for a solution to our problems remains.

 

I encourage my colleagues to abide by their Friday deadline to provide Congress with a budget agreement. The conference committee must act swiftly to assist the millions harmed by these reckless cuts and to prevent future pain. Replacing the sequester will be difficult, but it is not impossible. I urge my colleagues to place American families first.

 

Give us a holiday miracle.