Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) today released an analysis showing that the Bush Administration's proposed budget puts millions of poor children at risk by not adequately funding vital programs that provide for some of their most basic needs. The Bush budget presents a reckless plan to expand tax cuts for the rich at the expense of the most vulnerable Americans—including the 12.1 million children who live below the poverty line.

The CDF® analysis highlights Administration choices that:

• fail to meet the basic needs of children in health care, housing, child care, child nutrition, and child abuse and neglect;

• deny key supports and services for low-income working families such as child care assistance, housing vouchers, and after-school programs;

• leave children behind by cutting many education programs and underfunding its own No Child Left Behind Act by $9.4 billion;

• allow children and adolescents to fall through the cracks by failing to invest in families in crisis and juvenile services; and

• back away from federal government responsibilities to help our most vulnerable citizens by promoting block grants in Head Start, housing, health care, and child welfare programs.

"The Bush Administration's budget plays 'Robin Hood in reverse' by taking from programs that serve the most fundamental needs of children, while giving more money to the rich," said Marian Wright Edelman, President of the Children's Defense Fund. "Permanent tax cuts for the wealthy should not come at the expense of our children, especially the ones with the greatest needs. For less than one-third the cost of making the tax cuts permanent we could provide health insurance to America's 9.3 million uninsured children, provide Head Start for every eligible child, and pay the salaries of 100,000 more teachers to reduce class size. Instead this year's budget further cuts children's access to child care, affordable housing, and underfunds education for disadvantaged children. For the sake of our children, we count on Congress to reject this ill-advised budget."

"We do not have a money problem in this country; we have a priorities problem," said Edelman. "The Administration uses the soothing rhetoric of 'no child left behind,' but in reality pushes millions of poor children even farther behind."

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View The Entire Children's Defense Fund® Budget Analysis Report:

• Robin Hood in Reverse: Bush Administration Budget Choices Take from Poor Children to Give to the Rich
  (Adobe PDF : 10 pages : 141 KB)

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The mission of the Children's Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investment before they get sick, into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family breakdown. CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations. We have never taken government funds.