Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1539593
N I N E C A L I F O R N I A R E P U B L I C A N members of U.S. Congress turned their backs on millions of children and families with their vote this summer to slash federal funding for health care and other basic services for our most vulnerable to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, corporations and the super-wealthy. ese Congress members voted to pass Pres. Trump's budget bill, which constitutes the greatest shift of wealth — from the working class to the richest Americans — in our nation's history. e impacts of the cuts to Medicaid funding alone (nearly $1 trillion nationally over 10 years, according to reports) means about 3.4 million Californians, including many children, will lose health care coverage. "We just witnessed one of the largest transfers of wealth from working people and those who rely on Medicaid to the rich and corporations via this bill,'" CTA President David Goldberg says. "Now, we have to hold these politicians in Congress accountable for voting to harm our students, families and communities." e nine California republican Congress members know no bounds when it comes to serving billionaires and corporations, literally taking food out of hungry children's mouths to give more to people who will not ever want for anything. Cuts of $230 bil- lion to School Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding nationally will impact schools that rely on CalFresh for free or reduced-price meals, with some areas like Rep. David Valadao's Kings/Tulare county-area Congressional District losing both nutrition and grade level support. "David Valadao voted to gut Medicaid and public education," said Jesse Aguilar, Bakersfield educator and CTA Board of Direc- tors member. "He voted to take health care away from the people in his district and to stop feeding hungry children. He aban- doned our neediest communities. Shame on David Valadao!" California schools receive more than $250 million annually in federal Medicaid reimbursements to fund school nurses, school psychologists, school counselors, speech language pathologists and other special education service providers. The recently approved funding cuts will mean fewer on-campus health Rep. Jay Obernolte with CTA member leaders in April. Our delegation asked him to stand with students and families in his district. Obernolte promised he would vote against any cuts to education — but clearly lied when he broke that promise. California's Republican Congressional Reps Vote to Cut Services to Families Despite severe pain to their communities, GOP electeds opt for draconian budget cuts and fall in line for billionaire tax breaks By Julian Peeples 24 cta.org Feature LIED