Press Releases

WASHINGTON Hundreds of thousands of people from across the country today participated in a virtual Wednesday in Washington jamming the Capitol switchboard to oppose the Bush Administration's tax and budget plan. The Bush Administration is waging a budget war on children by eliminating, dismantling, cutting and freezing essential children's services while singling out the rich for massive new tax breaks when the country is waiting for the President's final diplomatic efforts that could threaten the lives of millions more children.

The Children's Defense Fund joined with the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, People for the American Way, Moveon.org, the Fair Tax Coalition and citizens all around the country for today's Wednesday in Washington to oppose the President's budget and tax plan before Congress. Early estimates expected only thousands of participants, but hundreds of thousands of people from every corner of the nation called, emailed and faxed their Senators and Representatives.

Based on a similar initiative used by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the Children's Defense Fund's Wednesdays in Washington are a call for people to take action through personal visits, phone calls, letters, e-mail, faxes, prayers, and other activities to alert the nation's leaders about what can be done to truly Leave No Child Behind.

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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.