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Dear Friends,
Tomorrow, March 1st, cuts to Federal workers, programs, agencies, and civilian contractors, known as sequestration, will go into effect. Federal agencies will be forced to cut $85 billion over the next seven months, resulting in drastic cuts in Maryland and across the country. Tonight, February 28th at 7:00pm I will host a Tele-Town Hall with residents of the 4th Congressional District to answer questions and discuss in greater detail what sequestration means for our country and the state of Maryland. If you’d like to participate, please sign up on my website: www.donnaedwards.house.gov.
We know these cuts will be across the board, reducing programs ranging from air traffic control, transportation, and first responders to the FBI and education. Instead of a smart, balanced approach to reducing our deficits, we know these cuts stand to jeopardize our economy, national security, and vital federal programs and workers.
On August 1st, 2011, I voted against the Budget Control Act, which created sequestration, because it was “an unfair, unbalanced attack on working families.” That statement rings all the more true today. In Maryland alone, sequestration will hurt working families in the following ways:
- 800 Maryland children will lose access to school readiness programs (National Education Association).
- 2,190 fewer children will receive life-saving vaccinations (Center for Disease Control).
- 12,100 mothers and young children in Maryland will be cut from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program (Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs).
- Over $372,000 would be cut from the Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program, resulting in 1,450 fewer Maryland women being screened for cancer (Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs).
- Maryland will lose $467,907 in investments in first responders (Congressional Research Service (Library of Congress)).
- In Maryland, approximately 46,000 civilian Department of Defense contractors will be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $353.7 million (The White House).
- Maryland could lose up to $124,000 in funds that provide services to victims of domestic violence, resulting in up to 500 fewer victims being served.
These cuts will directly hurt Maryland working families and the 95,125 Federal workers in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to avert sequestration with a balanced solution. In the meantime, I hope you can join me this evening at 7pm to discuss the impact of sequestration and please check my website for the most up-to-date information.
Thank You,
Donna F. Edwards
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