House Proposes Devastating Cuts

House Appropriators Would Slash More than $65 billion in the Next Seven Months;
Vulnerable People Hit Hard

The House Appropriations Committee has released the cuts it will make to finish out the remaining 7 months of this fiscal year. It proposes to cut $100 billion below the President's FY 2011 budget proposal, of which $81 billion is cut from domestic and international programs, and $19 billion comes from military, homeland security, and veterans' programs. The President's proposals were higher than the level of spending that has been adopted so far in temporary spending measures. This proposal cuts about $60 billion as compared to FY 2010. Because there are increases in military, veterans' and homeland security spending, the cut to domestic and international programs is higher than the $60 billion in net reductions. There are $65.5 billion in cuts to domestic and international spending and a net $3.4 billion in cuts to military construction, homeland security, and veterans affairs. There are increases for veterans health care ($3.687 billion), homeland security ($1.2 billion) and defense spending (approximately $9 billion?).

Even though we are already five months into the fiscal year, some programs lose ALL of their regular FY 2011 appropriations (some may have remaining economic recovery or other funding).

Some terminated programs:
Reintegration of Ex-Offenders
YouthBuild
Green Jobs Innovation Fund
Career Pathways Innovation Fund
National Health Service Corps
Family Planning (Title X)
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Discretionary Grants
Mentoring Children of Prisoners
Even Start
Striving Readers
High School Graduation Initiative
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (higher ed financial assistance)
LEAP program (for low-income college students)

There are other very draconian cuts. Here are some comparisons to FY 2010 levels. PLEASE SHARE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR CORRECTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THESE OR OTHER CUTS:

$1 billion from Head Start (15 percent);

$1.4 billion from various job training programs (we're not sure exactly what is cut, but for purposes of comparison, two major job training programs, adult and youth training, were funded at $1.78 billion in FY 2010. (That does not include nearly $1.7 billion in economic recovery act funding that was available in FYs 2009 and 2010 - that is gone too.)

Community Health Centers (46 percent of regular appropriation);

Substance abuse treatment (more than $200 million cut);

Community Services Block Grant (44 percent cut);

Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) contingency fund (66 percent cut);

FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program (50 percent cut);

Title I (K-12 education for low-income students) ($693.5 million),

IDEA (special education) grants to states: (nearly $560 million);

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (11.4 percent cut);

Community Development Fund ($2.95 billion, or 66.3 percent cut);

Project-based rental assistance ($715.5 million, or 8.4 percent cut);

Public Housing Capital Fund ($1.07 billion, or 42 percent cut);

Housing for the Elderly ($551 million, or 67 percent cut);

Housing for Persons with Disabilities ($210 million, or 70 percent cut).


OUR ABILITY TO FIGHT THESE CUTS DEPENDS ON GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MANY ARE CURRENTLY SERVED, HOW THEY ARE HELPED, AND SOME ESTIMATES OF HOW MANY WILL LOSE HELP BECAUSE OF THESE RECKLESS PROPOSALS. PLEASE HELP!

The full list of cuts from the House Appropriations Committee:
http://republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/ProgramCutsFY2011ContinuingResolution.pdf

A summary list by appropriations subcommittees:
http://republicans.appropriations.house.gov/_files/FY2011CRSpendingTablesbySubcommittee.doc

The full legislative text:
http://www.rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_1/legislativetext/2011crapprops/AppropCRFinal_xml.pdf
This continuing resolution (CR) will be on the House floor next week (likely starting on Wednesday). Debate may proceed for several days; amendments will be permitted. However, amendments to increase funding for any program can only be allowed if they include cuts in other programs within the same subcommittee jurisdiction. Amendments to cut more deeply will be allowed; funds saved through such cuts are reserved in a "lockbox" to reduce the deficit; the money saved cannot then be used to restore funds to another program. After the bill is passed in the House, the Senate must act on it, and a final CR enacted before the March 4 deadline, when the current temporary spending measure expires.

SAVE for All: Strengthening America's Values and Economy for All

If you were wondering whether you should be part of the SAVE for All campaign, the House spending proposal is a good reason to join. Please read and sign the Statement of Principles, and join with hundreds of organizations to fight harshly short-sighted cuts - and to SAVE vulnerable people from losing services and opportunities to escape poverty.