Rep. Degette visits Tennyson Center for Children to discuss proposed cuts to critical programs

June 5, 2013

Rep. Degette visits Tennyson Center for Children to discuss proposed cuts to critical programs
June 5, 2013
During the congressional Memorial Day recess, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) visited with a small classroom of students at Tennyson Center for Children, in the Highland neighborhood of Denver, before heading into a gymnasium full of more than 100 seniors, parents, and advocates eager to discuss the effects of sequestration cuts and proposed budget reductions in spending impacting children, seniors and families.

Rep. Degette visits Tennyson Center for Children to discuss proposed cuts to critical programs
June 5, 2013
During the congressional Memorial Day recess, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) visited with a small classroom of students at Tennyson Center for Children, in the Highland neighborhood of Denver, before heading into a gymnasium full of more than 100 seniors, parents, and advocates eager to discuss the effects of sequestration cuts and proposed budget reductions in spending impacting children, seniors and families.
The Every Child Matters Colorado Campaign, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Council of La Raza, Children's Leadership Council and 14 other local children and senior organizations organized the town hall event.
"The federal budget is a reflection of our nation's values and priorities on how we choose to invest in our future," Congresswoman DeGette told the town hall crowd. "The Republican budget proposal has placed some of the nation's most vital programs on the chopping block including Medicare, Social Security, and critical education programs."
Recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's new budget plan makes deep cuts in programs that benefit not only seniors but the health, education, and safety of children. In fact, Chairman Ryan gets 66% of his budget cuts from programs for people with low or moderate incomes.
Among other programs, DeGette said the Ryan Budget:
Cuts the Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which provides health care to more than 22 million children
Cuts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which ensures that children in more than nine million households get the nutrition they need
Freezes Pell Grant funding for college students.
The Ryan budget cuts every single program that benefits children, including those that prevent child abuse and neglect, according to a summary report published by Every Child Matters in April 2013.
Congresswoman DeGette was joined by national and local advocates Max Richtman, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Jesus Altamirano, National Council of La Raza, and Dr. Stephen Berman, a Colorado pediatrician and Every Child Matters Board Member, to help address the town hall crowd.
"We will continue to fight attempts to cut Americans' earned benefits and commend Congresswoman Diana DeGette for continuing to be a champion for the people of her district," Richtman said. "It will take political courage to continue to defend these programs and we are confident that at the end of the day, we shall prevail."
Since 2004, the town hall location, Tennyson Center for Children, has hosted the state campaign for Every Child Matters Education Fund, partnering with the national non-profit, non-partisan organization to make public investments in children, youth, and families a nonpartisan political priority here in Colorado and across the nation. Tennyson Center for Children is the Rocky Mountain region's leading treatment center and k-12 school for abused, neglected and crisis-affected children, helping hundreds of kids and more than 1,500 family members each year. Additionally, Tennyson's Office of Strategic Initiatives focuses on advocacy and public education that create and influence public policies, programs and systemic improvements to help children and families overcome a variety of life crises including abuse and neglect.
"Its hard to see the impact of cuts that help children, particularly at-risk, abused or neglected children," town hall emcee, Katie Facchinello, Colorado director for the Every Child Matters Education program, remarked. "You will never see the same immediate public outcry that comes say when your plane is delayed," she added, referencing the recent end to sequestration budget cuts to air traffic controls.
According to the Child Welfare League of America, sequestration budgets cuts to federal funding in Colorado that will most directly impact vulnerable children include:
$327,600 reduction in child welfare services
$242,000 reduction in funding to support Promoting Safe and Stable Families Act
$2,200,000 reduction in funding to support the Child Care Development Block grant
$6,318,000 reduction in funding to support for Head Start programs
$2,100,000 reduction in funding to support the Social Services Block Grant.
In total, cutting $14,136,000 in federal funding dedicated to providing services for Colorado's most at-risk, abused and neglected children, including those served by the town host also located in DeGette's district.
"We need a budget that proposes a fair and sustainable path forward, prioritizes a responsible approach to our nations deficit while protecting key programs, and targeting investments in areas of proven economic growth," DeGette said. "I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find a compromise on a budget solution that protects the programs that are so critical for our children, families, and seniors."
A young woman named Daunitia Lewis asked the first question of the Congresswoman, simply asking her not to forget about her when she goes back to Washington D.C. Daunitia entered the foster care system in Colorado at age 10 and exited when she was 17.
"I have spent my entire life trying to overcome the mistakes of my parents and family, so, I can make a life for myself that is my own," Lewis said.
Upon being released from the system, Daunitia moved in with her grandmother and from there to her own apartment when she was 18 years old. Within two years of leaving her grandmother's home she was homeless with nowhere to turn.
Through Bridging the Gap, a program of Mile High United Way, Daunitia was connected to housing assistance and other support to help her achieve self-sufficiency as an adult. Now that voucher program has been heavily impacted by sequestration cuts causing locally administered programs all over Colorado to go on waitlists and lotteries for housing support.
"It is no exaggeration for me to say that the voucher and Bridging the Gap saved my life," she said.
Attendees' questions toggled between concern for children and seniors. Richtman addressed several questions from concerned seniors about proposed changes to social security benefits.
"Let us be clear: cutting Social Security should not be part of a ‘grand bargain' and should have never been put on the table in the first place," Richtman said. "Chained CPI is a cut to benefits. Social Security has not added a dime to the deficit and folks in Washington shouldn't be using our deficit as an excuse to cut a vital lifeline for millions of Americans."
Dawn Marquantte, a mother and 9to5 Colorado member, spoke out to Congresswoman Diana DeGette about the importance of funding the Head Start program, which provides critical early education for her daughter and is a means to child care. Head Start services are estimated to be eliminated for approximately 700 families in Colorado due to the across-the-board cuts of sequestration.
"We must continue to invest in our future by funding such critical programs as Head Start that give our youth the opportunity to excel," said Jesus Altamirano, regional coordinator, National Council of La Raza. "Cuts alone will not solve our federal budget issues; we must look to expanding revenue sources and this includes ensuring that high-income individuals and corporations pay their fair share towards reducing the federal deficit."
Still others came to the town hall to say thank you to the Congresswoman, like Brian Brinkerhoff, State Coordinator, CASA in Colorado.
"In April this year, Congresswoman DeGette was one of a handful of individuals in Congress who signed a letter asking that our funding be restored and included in the new budget," Brinkerhoff said. "She's truly an ally for all children and youth, I wanted to come to the town hall simply to say thank you."
Click here for the original article.