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December 10, 2003  
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CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND REVIEWS CONGRESS IN 2003

Washington, DC The Children's Defense Fund today released an analysis of decisions made by Congress over the past year and determined that Ebeneezer Scrooge could easily have been a member of Congress in 2003. The President and Congress did much more for special interests and the wealthy than they did for America's children. While there were some important gains for all children and families, on balance, the choices made by our federal elected officials in 2003 leave most poor children with very little to look forward to this Christmas.

Gifts Delivered

The Child Tax Credit was expanded to $1,000 and made partially refundable. Both the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act were reauthorized and improved—although both are under-funded relative to the need for services. The Adoption Incentives Program was extended and incentives for states to find adoptive families for older children in foster care were added. The American Dream Downpayment Act was passed to better address the housing needs of grandparents and other relatives raising children. Congress also passed the PROTECT Act, which included a number of provisions to increase penalties for criminal offenses involving children, and to facilitate investigations and prosecutions in these cases. It established a system to allow use of the AMBER Alert plan in the states and reauthorized Child Advocacy Centers, which offer safe havens for children who have been victims of physical or sexual abuse. Congress also amended the Violence Against Women Act to establish grants to assist children and adults who are homeless and/or need housing assistance as a result of fleeing domestic violence.

While these modest accomplishments are a good start for many children and families in need, much more remains to be done in 2004.

Lumps of Coal

Unfortunately, many of the most important needs of America's children were left unmet, or pushed even farther in the wrong direction in 2003. For example:

Enduring the bad economy: President Bush and his economic team took a $280 billion surplus and turned it into a record $374 billion deficit. Even if the debt stops growing right now, today's children will inherit a debt of $6 trillion. More than 90,000 families a week will begin running out of unemployment benefits because Congress refused to extend benefits before adjourning for the year. As a result, over the next six months two million unemployed Americans will no longer be eligible for this federal aid. During the Bush Administration, extreme poverty among Black children reached record levels.

Passing tax cuts that leave children behind: While millionaires receive checks averaging $93,500 from the government, the hard-working parents of 12 million children receive nothing because Congress refused to close a loophole in the massive tax cut to the richest Americans. Even 260,000 children of active military parents were excluded from the Child Tax Credit that the President signed. Congress also passed an outrageous dividend tax break further benefiting the rich.

Dismantling Head Start: The House of Representatives, with approval from the White House, passed a Head Start bill, which if implemented, would serve 6,000 fewer children, and eliminate certain federal standards—leading to lower quality in Head Start programs.

Failing on education: Congress failed to provide significant increases—and in many cases decreased—key K-12 education programs under the President's No Child Left Behind Act. In particular, Congress fell $6.15 billion short of funding Title I at the level promised in the Act, leaving low-income schools without the resources necessary to help the most educationally- and economically-disadvantaged students achieve the academic goals outlined in the Act.

Killing protection from gun violence: Congress failed to prevent criminals, juveniles, and other prohibited purchasers from buying firearms at gun shows where unlicensed dealers are not required to do background checks. Under federal law, licensed dealers are required to run criminal background checks. Congress also has yet to reauthorize the ban on assault weapons. Without this reauthorization, people could again obtain access to these destructive weapons and endanger the lives of our children.

Shredding the safety net: Congress delayed reauthorizing welfare reform and childcare legislation, while conservatives in Congress push for harsh new work requirements, insufficient child care funding, and additional limits on state flexibility. Record numbers of American families are in the untenable position of being without work or welfare. In fact, the number of children in jobless female-headed families with no Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has surged to 4 million during the Bush Administration.

Denying health insurance for American poor, disabled, and legal immigrant children: The final Medicare prescription drug bill dropped the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA). ICHIA, included in the Senate-passed version of the Medicare bill, would have allowed, but not required, states to cover legal immigrant children and pregnant women through Medicaid and/or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Legal immigrants are currently barred from Medicaid and CHIP during their first five years in the country, with many effectively barred until they become citizens. Congress also did not pass the Family Opportunity Act, leaving hundreds of thousands of disabled children without access to Medicaid's comprehensive services; and took no action on the Mental Health Parity Bill, which is key to getting children with mental health problems the help they need.

Forgetting those in need: Congress failed to pass legislation that would have increased funding for the Social Services Block Grant. These funds are critical to support programs for those in need, such as abused and neglected children, children with disabilities, and the elderly.

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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.

 

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