Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

House Republican leaders in Congress recently presented a proposal to cut non-security discretionary spending by over 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2011. In their “Pledge to America” campaign document, House Republican leaders presented their proposal to cut $105 billion from non-discretionary programs out of the $483 billion proposed non-security budget that President Obama presented. Louisiana would face cuts of $581 million under this proposal. This federal funding provides money for K-12 education, housing programs, and children and family services, such as child care assistance and WIC which is a food and nutrition program for pregnant women and young children.

Louisiana is in its third year of severe budget cutting because, due to ill-advised tax cuts and the economic downturn, it is not generating sufficient revenues to provide the services needed by families to grow and prosper. The state is already facing having to find an addition $108 million in this year’s budget to make up for last year’s budget shortfall. If enacted, these cuts in federal support would significantly worsen an already bad budget situation.