Reconciliation bill hands children “a terrible defeat,” advocate says

House must chose babies over billionaires

In response to House consideration of the budget reconciliation bill, scheduled for today, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley issued the following statement: 

“Children suffered a terrible defeat with the Senate’s passage of a reconciliation bill that appears to deliberately target their health, safety and well-being in order to appease America’s wealthiest donors. Unfortunately, the worst may be yet to come.

The Senate’s bill is even worse than the House version. It slashes more from children’s health programs — over $1 trillion total in cuts to Medicaid, CHIP and the Affordable Care Act — shifts the cost of food benefits to the states, which almost guarantees an end to many state-level programs, installs a federal school voucher system that will undermine the nation’s public schools, and balloons the national debt by roughly $4 trillion, which is an unpayable mortgage on our children’s future.

If the House passes this bill, lawmakers will be guilty of the largest transfer of wealth in modern American history: from babies to billionaires, from struggling families to the wealthiest households and corporations.

Supporters sold this bill as a way to “protect, preserve, and strengthen” critical programs for children. In fact, this bill — and the lawmakers who vote for it — will have perpetrated an unspeakable violence on our children and the nation’s future. The House must choose babies over billionaires and reject this bill.”