Avoiding the 'fiscal cliff'

Catalyst Miami is one of over 1,900 groups that signed the SAVE for All letter that was resently sent to every Senator and Representative in Congress, asking them to avoid what could be devastating cuts to jobs and services. 

The impetus for the letter is the looming "sequestration cuts," sometimes known as the "fiscal cliff." This refers to the deadline Congress set for itself last year to reach an agreement on tackling the budget deficit. Unless some kind of bipartisan compromise can be reached by the end of this year, $1.2 trillion worth of cuts to jobs and services will automatically go into effect. These cuts have been referred to be Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) as a “Satan sandwich” because of the potential impact the cuts could have on the poor. 

As the SAVE for All letter outlines, hundreds of thousands of households could lose services such as rental assistance, heating and cooling aid, nutrition aid and job training if a deal is not reached. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if the cuts take effect, unemployment will rise to 9.1% by the end of next year. That is why we, along with many other organizations, are calling on Congress to let the tax cuts for the richest 2% expire to avoid these harsh austerity measures. 

Learn more from the Coalition on Human Needs.