There is, and will be, a lot of talk about sequestration this week, as the across-the-board budget cuts are set to take effect on Friday. Republicans are desperate to pin sequestration on Obama, but they must be sequestered from reality if they think Americans have forgotten that we only have the sequester because Republicans held the debt ceiling hostage in 2011.
Here’s a great video from American Bridge 21st Century Foundation that helps paint the picture of the GOP-forced sequester.
That’s right–Republican House Speaker John Boehner actually said,“I got 98 percent of what I wanted” when he negotiated the deal that wrote sequestration into law.
Sequestration is going to have a very real impact, both on the nation and on Minnesota. Sequestration means budget cuts to vital programs in every area, but women and children and especially going to feel the effects. Take a look at what sequestration means for Minnesota women and children:
Sequestration cuts domestic violence prevention and emergency shelter services by over $100,000 this year alone. In Minnesota, that means 400 fewer domestic violence victims will be helped.
500 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care this year alone, which is essential for working parents to hold down a job.
Sequestration cuts vaccination funding by over $160,000 this year alone, which means 2,360 fewer children will get needed vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, whooping cough and tetanus.
Sequestration cuts almost $250,000 from breast and cervical cancer screenings, meaning 933 low-income, underinsured and uninsured women will not receive needed cancer screenings.
Sequestration, and these harmful budget cuts, could absolutely have been prevented. The choice was clear: harmful across-the-board budget cuts at a time when states like Minnesota are struggling to get back on the right track or close wasteful tax loopholes for the very rich and big corporations.
Once again, Republicans chose protecting big corporations at the expense of middle class families.
