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February 2, 2015

Proposal to replace arbitrary cuts with targeted investments will benefit Latinos

Washington, D.C. –The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), a coalition of 39 of the nation’s preeminent Latino organizations, welcomed President Barack Obama’s proposal to undo arbitrary across-the-board funding cuts, known as sequestration, in the budget that his administration released today for fiscal year 2016. NHLA has advocated for replacing sequestration with a more sensible approach to budgeting that grows the economy through investments in education, job training, and infrastructure.

Undoing sequestration enables the Obama Administration to propose key investments that NHLA supports, such as those that boost assistance to English-language learners so they can meet rigorous academic standards; train more entrepreneurs on how to start and grow a business; make child care more affordable; expand early childhood education; provide free community college access; better prepare our youth for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and create opportunity for Central American youth at home.

NHLA is also encouraged by the Administration’s proposals to help families through tax credits that reward work and keep millions of adults and children out of poverty such as by making permanent the 2009 expansions of the refundable portions of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), and by tripling the child care tax credit.

“The President’s budget provides a welcome alternative to the policy of arbitrary across-the-board cuts facing the nation unless Congress acts. The President's proposal to make targeted investments to educate our youth and create jobs is good for Latinos and good for the country,” said Hector Sanchez, NHLA Chair and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “For the past four years, efforts to cut the deficit have relied too heavily on short-sighted funding cuts in areas such as education and job-training, jeopardizing our nation’s future by failing to adequately invest in our youth. The President’s proposal would provide a more balanced approach to deficit reduction by making smart long-term investments where we need them, targeting cuts more carefully, and closing tax loopholes.”

“We support the President’s budget priorities, which replace years of harmful cuts with new funding in program areas that grow the economy, invest in the future and protect vulnerable children,” said Eric Rodriguez, Vice President of the Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation at NCLR (National Council of La Raza). “The President’s budget blueprint contains many ideas worthy of bi-partisan support. Congressional leaders should view the plan as the starting point in the national discussion about ways to improve the lives of working families.”

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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. In 2013, NHLA launched the Latinos United for Immigration Reform campaign. For more information, please visit www.nationalhispanicleadership.org and LatinosUnited.org and follow @NHLAgenda.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

| Carmen Orozco-Acosta | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (512) 787-6508 | | Brenda Arredondo | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (202) 587-4945 |