Washington, D.C. — This afternoon, Republican vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) will deliver a speech on poverty and economic mobility from the campaign trail in Ohio. The following experts from the Center for American Progress Action Fund are available to provide a reaction to Rep. Ryan’s remarks:
- Tom Perriello, President and CEO, Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Tara McGuinness, Executive Director, Center for American Progress Action Fund
- Melissa Boteach, Director, Half in Ten and Poverty and Prosperity Program
According to a recent CAP Action analysis, the following consequences for struggling families would occur if the Romney-Ryan plans were put into place:
- 31 million people—predominantly children, seniors, people with disabilities, and the working poor—will lose access to health insurance due to Medicaid cuts.
- 46 million people could see their bare-bones nutrition aid (averaging $1.50 per person per meal) reduced to below what the Department of Agriculture considers minimally adequate OR 8 million to 10 million people could lose access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program altogether.
- Approximately 191,000 children could be kicked off Head Start—which helps provide at-risk preschoolers with the educational, health, nutrition, and family support services they need—in the next two years.
- More than 4 million children in low-income school districts could see their educational services reduced or eliminated in the next two years.
- The costs of special education for 1.26 million special-needs children would be shifted to states and school districts in the next two years.
To speak with a CAP Action expert, please contact Katie Peters at [email protected] or 202.741.6285.
Related resources from CAP Action:
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