Thursday, February 28, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of thirty leading Hispanic organizations in the nation, warned that the sequestration budget cuts would devastate Hispanics who were disproportionately impacted by the Great Recession. The cuts would derail the nation's fragile economic recovery and ax programs many Hispanic and low income families rely on.

Hector E. Sanchez, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of LCLAA, stated: "With Latino unemployment still at 9.6%, now is not the time to play political games with our economy. From school children to seniors, these cuts would impact all Americans and would be especially devastating to our most vulnerable families. We should be investing in our future--education, job training, and children's health care--not stilfing our economic recovery with massive, arbitrary cuts."

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the sequestration cuts would reduce job creation by 750,000 this year, making it even harder for stuggling families to get back on their feet. The cuts would also force drastic reductions to safety net programs like the women, infants, and children (WIC) nutrition program. WIC, which helps mothers buy nutritious food for their children, would drop 250,000 Latinos starting with four-year-olds.

Alex Nogales, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, stated: "Sequestration is a thoughtless and unnecessary exercise that demonstrates Congress at its worst. Many leaders in Washington seem to be unwilling or unable to recognize the terrible consequences of their actions - or inactions - which, in this case, will be to needlessly harm our fragile and recovering economy. The sequestration budget cuts will harm the most vulnerable, including many Latinos who were disproportionately impacted by the recession. It is time for those in power to put politics aside and treat this situation with the sense of urgency and care that it deserves."

Rafael A. Fantauzzi, President & CEO of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, stated: “Our coalition is concerned about the negative impact that the sequestration cuts will have on all Puerto Ricans but our biggest concern are the vulnerable children, seniors, and the unemployed. On the Island, potential cuts to programs like Head Start, unemployment benefits, infant vaccinations, public health services, and domestic violence prevention will target already underserved constituents. Vulnerable citizens should not be the pawns of partisan politics.”

Dr. Yanira Cruz, President of the National Hispanic Council on Aging, stated: “We want to reach awareness among policy makers about the negative effects the sequester will have among the middle class, including older adults. While long term deficit reduction is necessary, it should not come at the expense of the most vulnerable. NHCOA calls on policy makers to find a responsible solution to the sequester.”

Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, stated: “The sequester would have a devastating and lasting impact on the health and well-being of Latinas and our families and will only exacerbate existing health disparities. It’s time to invest in healthy families and strong communities, not take everybody backward.”

In the area of education, nearly 9.3 million students are at risk of losing the assistance they need, from young students in high-poverty, struggling schools to college students needing financial aid. In total, as of March 1, nearly $3 billion would be cut in education alone. Within those cuts are education and job training programs that help Hispanics get ahead. 25,000 Latino preschoolers would be kicked out of Head Start programs, 1.2 million children would no longer receive extra help in math and reading, and 270,000 adults and teens would be dropped from job training programs.

Established in 1991, The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) brings together Hispanic leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. ###