Pennsylvania Stands to Lose Massive Funding for Education, Healthcare and Public Safety from Sequester Cuts
Cancel the Sequestration Immediately
HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A report from the Senate Appropriations Committee shows that Congressional Conservatives, led by House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, threats to harm the economy by letting automatic across-the-board budget cuts – called "sequestration" – go forward on March 1, 2013 would cause Pennsylvania to lose enormous funding for education, public safety, healthcare and job training.
The report further proves that right-wing conservative politicians 'insistence on cutting Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to pay for tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthiest 2 percent would directly harm working families.
These drastic cuts would slash nearly $43 million for Pennsylvania from Title I, the largest federal-funded education program in the United States, meaning schools would be left struggling to pay for teachers and tutors. Critical grants for public safety would be cut back by 1.9 million, leaving fire departments understaffed and working without necessary, critical equipment.
"Yet again, Conservative right-wing members of Congress, led by Boehner and McConnell, are threatening to throw the economy back into recession, further delay job creation, and stronger economic expansion unless Democrats agree to benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid," said Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale.
"They are holding jobs and economic recovery hostage to deep across the board cuts that hurt working families that go into effect rather than close wasteful tax loopholes and demand corporations and the richest 2% pay their fair share," Secretary-Treasurer added.
"We need to invest in our economy and our people by creating more jobs, not cutting them. Congress must stop protecting corporations and the richest 2% and cancel the sequester immediately," Bloomingdale said.
Additional state cuts: Pennsylvania
| FY 12 Funding |
FY 13 Sequester Cut |
Impact |
|
| Head Start |
$262,631,620 |
$20,485,266 |
689 Head Start jobs lost and 3,305 fewer children served |
| Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grants |
$20,201,109 |
$1,919,773 |
Reduced ability to respond to biological, radiological, chemical, and natural emergencies |
| Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program |
$209,548,185 |
$18,324,280 |
Less funding to provide home heating and cooling assistance to low-income individuals and families |
| Improving Teacher Quality State Grants |
$98,148,572 |
$6,171,619 |
6,505fewer teachers, serving 88,728 students, receive professional development |
The full report can be found at: http://www.harkin.senate.gov/documents/pdf/500ff3554f9ba.pdf
SOURCE Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
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