Budget Cuts & Affirmative Action Suits

This week the House of Representatives will renew its struggle to find needle in a haystack spending appropriations it can cut in order to help pay for the rebuilding of the gulf coast areas - particularly Gulport, Mississippi and New Orleans after the tragedy of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The irony in the proposed cuts is while there may be monies found to help rebuild buildings and infrastructure, they will probably be the same cuts that make it harder for actual people to rebuild their lives.

The House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi held a press conference with many of her Democratic peers on Friday after the House Republicans - without the hammer of scandal-ridden Congressman Tom Delay - could not garner enough votes to pass a $50 billion dollar package.

The most controversial element of the House bill is the fact that $1 out of each $5 cut will come from social programs such as food stamps, medicaid and student loans. It seems many moderates in the House don't want to seem too harsh toward the poor a year out from the 2006 mid-term elections.

The Senate passed their budget cut proposal bill - a $35 billion dollar package - last week. While their debate was full of controversy, as well - particularly whether to give oil companies the approval to drill in the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge. That provision was later dropped in order to get the bill passed.

But it is clear the House bill is the one that, at least the critics say, is the hot potato for social service advocates.

The policy and advocacy grooup, Voices for America's Children says 6 million poor and low-income children will be especially hard hit. The cuts will make it harder for low-income and working poor parents to feed their children and provide them with day care the agency says. It will also make their futures quite bleak because the cuts will also pull back increases in pell grants for college education.