FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 20, 2017

Contact: Mary Tablante; (202) 706-6768; [email protected]

National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Responds to White House Budget Blueprint

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) strongly opposes the White House federal budget blueprint, which would put Americans last, not first, and would strip funding from programs and agencies that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) and other communities in need rely on.

The AANHPI community would be dramatically affected by the proposed cuts on health, housing and social services; elimination of funding for public broadcasting and the arts; and unnecessary increase in funding for immigration enforcement.

The White House budget blueprint has been sent to Congress, where it should be dead on arrival. We call upon Congress to produce a budget and provide government funding that better meets the needs of all Americans.

The following are excerpts of responses by NCAPA members:

Asian Americans Advancing Justice:

“Asian Americans Advancing Justice is strongly opposed to increased immigration enforcement funding on the backs of taxpayers. Rather than separating families through mass deportation efforts, the U.S. government should spend more money on building infrastructure and creating economic opportunities. The so-called “skinny budget” released along with the supplemental border funding request slashes funding for myriad programs that support children, families and working people.”

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF):

“The budget is an indication of our nation’s priorities, and as such, we express serious concerns over the significant reductions in federal spending for discretionary programs and elimination of key programs,” said Kathy Ko Chin, APIAHF President and CEO. “The budget proposes drastic cuts to the agency charged with protecting and advancing our nation’s health—the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—at a time when we are experiencing record improvements in expanding access to coverage, addressing public health challenges like the zika virus and opioid epidemic, and positioning our systems for changes and improvements in quality.

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA):

“We are outraged by the proposed budget that would slash millions of dollars to key public programs that advance opportunities for working families, their children, and communities nationwide, and strive to protect the workers and the environment from exploitation and degradation. Instead, the increases we’re seeing to agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense, serve only to fulfill Trump’s anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim agenda and promote the mass criminalization of people of color -- a divide and conquer attack to preserve the wealthy, white status quo,” said Johanna Puno Hester, APALA National President and Assistant Executive Director of the United Domestic Workers, AFSCME Local 3930.

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA):

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) strongly opposes the elimination of federal funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as detailed in President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget. The LSC was formed with the critical mission of ensuring that all citizens have equal access to civil legal services and the justice system — regardless of their ability to pay for counsel.

National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD):
“This budget is a clear denunciation of our communities and neighborhoods. It not only attacks federal funding for housing and social service programs, but also the heart of what makes our communities thrive: arts, culture, the environment, and the sense of safety felt by immigrant communities,” says Seema Agnani,  Executive Director of National CAPACD.

National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC):

“$3 billion can do a lot to support public education, protect the environment, and serve the poor, low-income, elderly, and working families. Instead this Administration's plan is to gut those essential programs and increase funding aimed to separate families. In the first 50 days of his Administration, immigration agents have detained young people with DACA status, arrested victims of domestic violence in courthouses, detained parents dropping their children off at school, and torn families apart through deportations and Muslim and refugee ban. We have to stop this.”

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 34 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.