Maurice Jones, LISC CEO, urges the Administration to preserve and grow federal programs that support opportunity for low-income people and spark economic growth—not cut them. The prosperity, safety and stability of our country is at stake.
It is hard to overstate how important the federal budget is to the growth and prosperity of the American economy and to families all across the country.
It is an underpinning of strong businesses, good jobs, safe streets and healthy families. It is critical to the quality of life in every region, both urban and rural—and particularly in places where people struggle to make ends meet.
By putting certain federal programs on the chopping block, the Administration’s budget threatens the country’s economy in ways that will have lasting consequences for millions of Americans.
For example, a strong Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a lifeline that helps communities all over the country—addressing local needs ranging from streets to schools. Every year, AmeriCorps provides opportunities for tens of thousands of people to serve their neighbors. The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund spurs private sector lending and according to data from the Treasury Department leverages $12 of private capital for each dollar of federal investment.
HUD Section 4 grants beef up local nonprofits so they can not only assist vulnerable people, but also build up the economic infrastructure of rural and urban areas.
Not only should the Administration not be proposing to slash these essential federal programs, it should be increasing them if we want to make America better, safer, more prosperous. I recommend the Administration add zeros to the dollars we invest in these federal programs, not zero them out.