Our ask this week: Will you oppose any budget resolution that undermines children and schools, especially in rural communities?

As our children go back to school, it's time for Senator Roberts to go back to work on behalf of the people of Kansas. The focus for this office visit is to tell Senator Roberts that the programs threatened by the current proposed budget directly impact children and schools in Kansas, especially in rural communities.

We will present Sen. Roberts’ staff with a backpack filled with stories and the items listed below for him to carry back to Congress. Please bring one of these symbolic items when you come for the visit:

• an apple - to remind him that we see them as “teachers” as well as representatives of the people
• an eraser - because we all make mistakes, but they still have time to fix theirs by voting to ensure that children and families are supported in ways that strengthen the communities they live in
• a calculator - to tally not only the costs but the financial drain on working families when health care is prohibitively expensive and threatens bankruptcy too often
• a band aid - to remind him that cuts will not fix the hurt felt throughout our economy.

Suggested Talking Points:

• In Kansas, 1 out of 3 children and 2 out of 5 people with disabilities are covered by Medicaid. These groups would be most adversely affected by the proposals to convert Medicaid to a block grant system.

• Schools are reimbursed by Medicaid for certain services, such as speech-language pathology and occupational therapy for students with disabilities; cuts to Medicaid would diminish cash-strapped schools’ overall ability to respond to these needs, especially in rural communities.
• Medicaid coverage contributes to positive outcomes: Declines in infant and child mortality rates, long-term health and educational gains for children, and improvements in health and financial security.
• $1 trillion is now proposed to be cut from Medicaid over the next ten years - that represents 20% of Medicaid spending.