Nebraska and all the states will face devastating cuts to their federal funding beginning January 1, 2013, if no action is taken by Congress to address the automatic cuts required by the Budget Control Act. The Budget Control Act required a committee to come to a deal regarding budget cuts to make for deficit reduction. Unfortunately, the committee did not come to an agreement, which means across-the-board spending cuts will be made to many programs that are crucial for Nebraskans.
These cuts are not the answer to our nation’s fiscal condition, and they do not reflect Nebraska’s priorities. Indeed, cuts like these would damage our economy, result in lost jobs, and would harm many hard working, low-income Nebraskans.
Below is a sample of how the cuts would affect Nebraskans, taken from a recently released Senate report.
| Program | 2013 Cut | Nebraskans Affected | Nebraska Jobs Lost |
| Head Start | $3.3 Million | 530 fewer children served | 110 |
| Child Care and Development Block Grant | $1 Million | 599 fewer children served | |
| Maternal and Child Health Block Grant | $300,000 | 8,539 fewer women, children, and families served | |
| Community Services Block Grant | $365,000 | 9, 200 fewer low-income individuals served | |
| Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) | $2.4 Million | ||
| Family Violence Prevention | $90,000 | 2,000 fewer domestic violence victims served, | |
| Title I Grants to Local Educational Agencies | $6.4 million | 11,100 fewer students served | 89 education jobs |
| Special Education Grants | $5.5 million | 497 fewer veterans served | |
| Veterans Employment and Training | $68,000 |
Because these cuts would hurt our state, Nebraska Appleseed recently wrote letters to our Congressional representatives to ask them to make changes.
Specifically, we are calling on Congress to replace the across-the-board cuts with a balanced approach to deficit reduction, one that would include significant new revenues. This is the only approach that would be fair and that would prevent more people from falling into poverty.
To get involved in protecting these important services visit the Save for All Campaign.