Expresses Strong Concern Over Budget Priorities

Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., expressed strong concern over President Bush’s fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget proposal. A preliminary analysis prepared by NCLR shows that the proposed budget inadequately funds programs that provide the Latino community with opportunities for educational achievement, employment, homeownership, and access to health care.

“These programs profoundly affect the Latino community. They help get farmworker children out of the fields and into the classroom. They help kids who might otherwise drop out of school instead set their sights on college. They help families become first-time homebuyers. They help our elder community cope with the aging process. Real people, real issues, real impact – that is why we are urging the President and Congress to make funding these programs a priority,” stated Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO.

The NCLR analysis notes that the budget proposal fails to identify realistic strategies for funding the programs that embody this nation’s most basic values and ideals. “The federal budget funds our nation’s public schools, housing, and job training programs, which are tremendously important to all Americans. Our initial analysis has found that the Administration’s proposed cuts go way beyond ‘trimming fat’ and would eliminate programs that are among the most well-regarded and cost-effective of all federal programs, including vital education programs such as TRIO and housing assistance. This is not acceptable,” concluded Murguia.

NCLR will release a comprehensive analysis of the budget and the impact of tax policy on the budget process in March.

Click here for NCLR's preliminary analysis of President Bush’s fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget proposal.

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