Press Releases

WASHINGTON - Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman today joined U.S. Senators Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Shelton Park Elementary School PTA President Donna Donlon of Virginia Beach, Va., in releasing an analysis that shows how the Bush Administration's budget proposals single out the rich for massive new tax breaks while eliminating, dismantling, slashing and freezing essential children's services.

Edelman said the President's rhetoric claims compassion but that his budget says America believes children and the poor should subsidize tax breaks for the rich with the health care, Head Start, child care, education, after-school programs, jobs and income that working families urgently need to survive today.

"The Bush Administration's rhetorical mask of compassionate conservatism has been ripped off by one of the most uncompassionate and dangerous assaults on poor children in American history," said Edelman. "The President's plan mortgages our children's future for trillions in tax cuts for millionaires, adding to our debt while eliminating, dismantling, slashing and freezing numerous children's programs. Just the proposed Bush stock dividend tax cut cost alone could provide every unserved child a Head Start and health coverage - investments the Bush budget would dismantle."

Fifty-two percent of the $1.3 trillion tax cut passed in 2001 will go to the top one percent of taxpayers with average incomes over a million dollars in 2010, while numerous children's programs will be eliminated, dismantled, slashed, and frozen. Two hundred thousand children will lose child care over the next five years and 570,000 children will lose after-school care in a single year.

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PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PLAN TARGETS CHILDREN

Administration Budget Proposal Eliminates, Dismantles, Slashes And Freezes Essential Children's Services

"The Bush Administration's rhetorical mask of compassionate conservatism has been ripped off by one of the most uncompassionate and dangerous assaults on poor children in American history. Promises to Leave No Child Behind® are mocked by tax and budget deeds which leave millions of children but no millionaire behind. The Bush Administration's plan says America believes children and the poor should subsidize tax breaks for the rich with the health care, Head Start, child care, education, after-school programs, jobs and income they urgently need to survive today."

- Marian Wright Edelman, Children's Defense Fund President

The Children's Defense Fund's analysis of the impact of the Bush Administration's budget and tax war on poor children finds that the President's budget:

- lavishes riches on the wealthiest while starving child investments.

- dismantles Head Start, Medicaid, housing assistance, and foster care programs, under the guise of state flexibility.

- slashes and freezes vital children's and youth programs.

- plays a shell game with child and youth investments. It gives a little with one hand and takes more with the other hand.

- uses children's programs as bait for deficit-ridden states awash in a sea of red ink, putting the most vulnerable children at risk of a double budget buzz saw.

- mortgages our children's and nation's future to give tax giveaways to millionaires and indiscriminately throws money at a military budget that currently spends $31.4 billion a month and $376.3 billion a year.

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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.