NOVANEWS
by Stephen Lendman
Mindless of growing public rage, political Washington keeps cutting vital social benefits needing increases during hard times.
With real unemployment approaching 23%, earlier cuts affected:
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Pell Grants help for college tuitions;
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federal wages;
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the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help impoverished families have heat in winter;
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the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
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community healthcare centers;
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nonprofit health insurance cooperatives;
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HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other disease prevention programs;
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WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) grants to states for supplemental foods, healthcare, and nutrition education for low-income families;
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Head Start, providing comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income families with children;
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the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (targeted earlier with more coming), providing food stamps for poor households;
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community development block grants for housing, overall reducing HUD’s budget by $1.1 billion;
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) first-responder funding;
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energy efficiency and renewable energy programs;
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) clean/safe water and other projects;
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National Institutes of Health (NIH) medical research;
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the National Park Service;
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vital infrastructure and transportation needs; and
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other non-defense discretionary spending.