Rep. Barbara Lee Calls on GOP to Avert the Sequester, Protect American Jobs
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. – Today, the Obama Administration released a new report on the harm that automatic spending cuts scheduled to occur on Friday would cause here in California. Rep. Barbara Lee renewed her call for House Republicans to take swift action on a balanced plan to stop these automatic spending cuts that would threaten our economy as well as a range of vital services for children, seniors, small businesses, and our men and women in uniform and released the following statement: “The report today details the harm that these automatic cuts pose to our fragile economy and to the safety and security of families here in California. There is no need for these painful and indiscriminate cuts. That is why I have joined with my colleagues to call on the House Republican leadership to do what is right for our nation by averting these damaging and mindless spending cuts. “With every passing day, thousands of jobs are at risk, the security of poor, working poor, and middle class families hang in the balance. Our nation’s economy cannot afford any further uncertainty, obstruction, and delay. Too much is at stake.” Specific cuts for California are detailed below: • Teachers and Schools: California will lose approximately $87.6 million for primary and secondary education, putting around 1,210 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition, about 187,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 320 fewer schools would receive funding. • Education for Children with Disabilities: California will lose approximately $62.9 million for about 760 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities. • College Aid and Work-Study Jobs: Around 9,600 fewer low income students in California would receive aid to help them finance the costs of college and around 3,690 fewer students will get work-study jobs that help them pay for college. • Head Start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 8,200 children in California, reducing access to critical early education. • Military Readiness: In California, approximately 64,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $399.4 million in total. • Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds: California, will lose about $1.6 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, and crime victim and witness initiatives. • Job Search Assistance: Around 129,770 fewer Californians will get the help and skills they need to find employment as California will lose about $3.3 for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning. • Child Care: Up to 2,000 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job. • Vaccines for Children: In California around 15,810 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations. • Violence Against Women Grants: California could lose up to $795,000 to provide services to victims of domestic violence, resulting in up to 3,000 fewer victims being served. • Nutrition for Seniors: California would lose approximately $5.4 million to help provide meals for seniors. • Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water: California would lose about $12.4 million to ensure clean water and air quality, as well as prevent pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste. • Public Health: California will lose approximately $2.6 million to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events. In addition, California will lose about $12.4 million in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 9,400 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. And the California State Department of Public Health will lose about $2 million resulting in around 49,300 fewer HIV tests. ### |
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip as well as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus(CPC), where she serves as the Co-Chair of the CPC Peace and Security Task Force, as well as founder and Co-Chair of the Out of Poverty Caucus.