Call on Rep. Hal Rogers to make better choices!

"The U.S. is one of the richest nations in the world. We can do so much better than this," said a participant at a recent tax justice workshop.  She was wondering at the impact of the extreme cuts in funding that Rep. Hal Rogers (who chairs the U.S. House Appropriations Committee) has recently proposed for some of the brightest and most effective programs of our federal government.

Since April, the House Appropriations Committee has been developing s series of twelve bills that, if passed, would unravel much of the progress that we've made toward our shared national goals and priorities. These bills propose budget cuts – cuts to farm programs, programs for children, and programs to help families save money on their electric bills – that would impact all of us, and especially all Kentuckians. And yet, many Kentucky legislators are playing a key role, especially Rep. Hal Rogers. 

In an ongoing effort to keep Kentuckians informed and able to speak out, here are four examples of those cuts: 

• Rep. Rogers proposes cutting the Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants, and Children program. WIC 

  gives states federal grants to make sure that low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women and babies under five years old get nutritional support.  If  Rep. Rogers' plan is passed, estimates are that between 300,000 and 450,000 eligible mothers and their babies will be turned away from WIC next year, including between 4500 and 6800 Kentucky mothers and children.  In Kentucky, where about one-quarter of our children are living in poverty, the potential impact of this cut--on families, on children, on local economies, on our state's ability to move forward, and especially in Rep. Rogers' own district--is staggering.
  



• The cost of the cuts to WIC are equivalent to the cost of extending the Bush tax cuts for millionaires alone for just one week.
  

• Other cuts within the Department of Agriculture will impact Kentucky, as well.  Community Farm Alliance is analyzing cuts to programs that help local farmers and sustainability.  Twenty-percent cuts to the Emergency Food Assistance Program will have a significant impact on our already-stretched food banks and pantries.  The bill also cuts funding to the FDA, which supplies any safeguards to protect our food supply.  Other cuts will obliterate the first new nutritional standards in 15 years proposed for school breakfasts and lunches. According to a Washington Post article, "the lawmakers say meals containing more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy will cost an additional $7 billion over five years — money they say the country can ill afford in difficult economic times." How will our kids be impacted by this?
  


• Rep. Rogers' bill cuts 40 percent from what the Obama administration requested for the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  This includes programs to develop renewable energy, a more energy efficient infrastructure, and programs that help low-income families weatherize their homes.  These programs support the transition to clean and affordable energy options, which has created enough momentum to be the fastest-growing job sector in the U.S.  Meanwhile, Rogers' plan offers the Office of Fossil Fuels more money than it even requested. 
  

Together, we've worked hard to put good policies in place that move our nation forward. We can see the good impacts of child nutrition programs, for example, and of putting safeguards in place to protect our food supply.  Now is our time to speak out for continuing our progress together, and to speak out against these harmful budget cuts to some of our brightest and most effective federal programs. We encourage Kentuckians to take every opportunity to speak out.  Rep. Rogers is expected back in Kentucky in August, and a contingent of KFTC members will certainly try to meet with him then, and encourage you to do the same.  There will likely be other opportunities for Kentuckians to communicate their thoughts about his work over the summer, too, and we'll try to keep you aware of those.  You can also speak out today...

Take Action!

1) Write a letter to the editor of one of the state or local papers! 

This is a great way to help people learn about Rep. Rogers' proposals, especially since they've been so under-reported. Here's a list of Kentucky's papers, with links to their websites. Most of them let you submit a letter online.  And here is a link with tips on writing those letters. Feel free to borrow all you like!

2) Call your Congresspeople!

They need to hear from you. Not only about these cuts to some of the most necessary functions of our federal government, but also about your support of good revenue solutions like the Fairness in Taxation Act. Like that workshop participant said, "The U.S. is one of the richest nations in the world. We can do so much better than this."  You can find the contact information for your representatives here, and the contact information for Sen. McConnell and Sen. Paul here.