STATEMENT: Half in Ten Experts on the President’s Budget Proposal

February 13, 2012

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Contact: Madeline Meth
Phone: 202.741.6277
Email: mmeth@americanprogressaction.org

Washington, D.C. — Today, Half in Ten, the campaign to cut poverty in half in 10 years, responded to President Obama’s budget blueprint with the following statement:

The president’s budget for fiscal year 2013 lays out critical investments that will help more Americans join the middle class and encourage shared economic growth, all in the context of cutting $4.3 trillion from our deficit over the next 10 years.

The blueprint shows that poverty reduction and deficit reduction are not mutually exclusive objectives. In fact, the administration’s proposed investments to grow the middle class will be essential to strengthen the U.S. economy and put us on stronger fiscal footing.

Half in Ten believes that to cut U.S. poverty in half, we must enact policies to create good jobs, strengthen families, and promote economic security. Overall, the president’s budget makes significant strides in all of these areas, including critical investments in job creation and workforce development, early education, and tax credits for working families. We are concerned, however, about a small number of damaging cuts, including a mandatory increase of minimum rents for the poorest of the poor that could have a detrimental impact on our nation’s most vulnerable citizens.

Half in Ten looks forward to working with the president and Congress to enact a budget that cuts poverty and provides greater opportunity to all.

Related resources:

• To see Half in Ten’s report tracking our progress in cutting poverty in half, click here.
• To find real stories of how the programs in the president’s budget are helping families to achieve the American Dream, click here.

To speak with a Half in Ten expert, contact Madeline Meth at mmeth@americanprogress.org or 202.741.6277.

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