Washington DC- Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed into law a measure providing $26 billion dollars to states to avoid teacher layoffs and extend additional Medicaid funding. Specifically, the measure includes $10 billion dollars for teacher positions, estimated to save the jobs of 160,000 teachers, as well as $16 billion dollars to help cover state Medicaid payments. The legislation also includes reductions in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Bruce Lesley, president of the bipartisan child advocacy organization First Focus, issued the following statement:
“We applaud our nation’s leaders for working to ensure the availability of vital health, education, and child welfare services for America’s most vulnerable and low-income children and families. The measure signed into law yesterday provides the critical resources needed to prevent massive teacher layoffs and deep cuts to education services for children, as well as stem severe cuts to Medicaid benefits, which would have left millions of Americans without access to health care. Without the passage of this legislation, states would have been forced to make cuts to other programs which would negatively impact children.
“While we join in celebrating the education and healthcare gains made for children and families, we are deeply concerned that the legislation included cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Earlier this year, a First Focus report revealed that due to the recession roughly 3.4 million more children were receiving SNAP benefits in August 2009, as compared to a year earlier. As families across our country continue to struggle with the aftermath of the economic downturn, there is no doubt that they will be adversely affected by the reductions in funding for SNAP. We strongly urge Congress to consider restoring funding for SNAP in the immediate future.”