If Congress fails to act, on March 1, a series of automatic, across-the-board cuts known as the “sequester” will hit several key programs that serve individuals with disabilities. Cutting the deficit on the backs of the most vulnerable goes against our core values as Americans, and it will cost us more in the long term to disinvest from fellow members of society by not providing them the necessary tools to excel.
As a nation we must decide what our priorities are. Do we ensure that children and adults with disabilities receive necessities such as a proper education and roofs over their heads, or is it more important to maintain tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals, such as the mortgage deduction on vacation homes and yachts? We cannot indiscriminately cut crucial services for the vulnerable when there are alternative and less harmful options.
Sarah Baron is a Special Assistant at the Center for American Progress.