Mother’s Day: Budget cuts affect women and children

As we celebrate Mothers’ Day this weekend I realize how fortunate I have been. Not only did I and my siblings have a mother who cared for us, we also had other mothers who were a part of our lives and helped us throughout our formative years: those at church, at school, in the community - it truly was a village that raised us along with our mother. Because of them we were to reach our potential and we celebrate all Mothers this weekend.

The federal administration released a budget proposal that would jeopardize the health and well-being of MILLIONS of mothers and their children. This budget would slash our support for maternal and child health and education for young girls by 30% or more. Our investment in these programs has made the difference between life and death for families domestically and worldwide and needless child deaths have been cut in half since 1990.

Decisions about the budget lie with Congress. I am calling on Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Representative Derek Kilmer to protect and expand funding for development assistance programs. What better gift could we have for Mothers’ Day?

This story was originally published May 12, 2017 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Mother’s Day: Budget cuts affect women and children."