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| National
Policy News: Senate Vote Hurts Thousands of Children
With
Congress back in session, the Senate has now finished work on the
FY2003 appropriations bill that was put on hold until after the
New Year. As you may recall, following the mid-term elections in
November, Congress passed several temporary bills to continuing
funding the federal government at last year's funding levels.
The Senate FY2003 appropriations bill includes an across-the-board cut of three percent that impacts nearly every program, including funding for children's programs such as Head Start and child care. However, an amendment introduced by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and co-sponsored by Sens. Kennedy (D-MA), Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) that exempts Head Start from the three percent cut was passed by a voice vote. Head Start will therefore increase by $130 million. However, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is subject to the three percent cut — it would be cut by $60 million and would serve 38,000 fewer children. The Senate and the House now need to work out the differences between their two bills (the House bill does not have an across-the-board cut, but it includes no increase for CCDBG, cuts campus-based child care by $10 million, and eliminates the Early Learning Fund and the Early Childhood Professional Development Program). For more information about the FY2003 appropriations bills, contact The Children's Defense Fund at (202) 662-3671, or by email at CDF-childcare@childrensdefense.org. Facts in Action, January/February 2003 |
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