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Thanks to sequestration, scholarships for children of troops who died fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are being cut by thousands of dollars
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Surge caused by politicians not doing their jobs -- politicians not doing their job is a direct impact on young people on children in this country.
Was sequestered now causing cuts to scholarships for the children of US troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Issue comes scholarship -- reduced by almost 40% ABC news political director Rick Klein joins us and I should add that ABC news has really been lead nationally and the story -- what it what's what's going on here.
So there's a program called the Iraq and Afghanistan now that -- war grants and this is.
The special -- program created for the children of servicemen and women who died in in one of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
It is a lot of money about 5000 dollars.
On is that -- scholarship available a -- of -- you're trying to piece together a college education not large in terms of the the big picture but because of the sequester Department of Education has has sent word that these grants have to be cut new grants are going to be cut.
By about 38% across the board so any -- you're gonna get a new grand it was 5000 dollars reports can be about 2000 dollars less than that.
I -- I don't get out.
This is almost 40% cut right about 30% cut.
Do you explain to me if the sequester was a 2.4 percent cut across the board why are the young people taken -- at 38% this kind of mean how how how I would think that they would have 2.4 percent.
Soliciting -- one is that it's spread over us a shorter period of time where have we into the fiscal year so that 2.4 percent cut has actually go into effect over shorter period of time just over the next six hateful that's ready for other than is that there there are things in the sequester that are that are actually walled -- -- -- making sure that that the men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq themselves -- in harm's way.
The vast majority military spending not cuts so.
Where and when there are programs are targeted date take a disproportionate.
Chunk of of the hit and that's the point that.
Both Democrats and Republicans have been making about this is that he -- that 2.4 percent.
There were talking about that's actually misleading figure because -- individual areas because those are the areas that have to move shoulder all of the burden it can be a lot more of a state.
Is this has selected -- -- and make this choice that we were gonna do this to these young people.
It's actually the opposite they made the choice -- the choice to do this across the board to as many programs Israelis could be -- We discretionary and I.
I think we've acted 2.4 percent well yesterday this is what it -- be areas that they didn't wall off they -- certain areas including pell grants for instance that war walled off and wouldn't be impacted.
This however was not touched so the department education from their perspective -- hands are tied because it's a -- And get discredit -- -- the upshot of all this there are 37.
Students yes 37 students who actually.
Are part of this program last year so this is a grand total about a 165000.
Dollars in federal spending so you're gonna go -- about three dozen students and save about six -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Have witnessed some talent is big into queries come -- -- got special treatment it really isn't the minute this is -- equal -- my -- and if someone made some decisions about this group is gonna get hit in this group has not.
That's right and -- -- the Education Department the Obama administration that has said that we'd love to have the flexibility to be able to -- -- And slices funding as we see fit as as it should be managed we don't have the flexibility because of the way the law is written answers and talk.
In congress about providing that particularly in military areas.
But an area like this it's hard to see -- a big groundswell of support for it for a for a short term solution is gonna -- -- money for -- I thought that they currently from the Republicans offer the flexibility to the White House a White House declined the -- on the defense side and -- may still -- they have said they don't want -- because they wanted to be part of a broader package over the sequestered for getting to the point where that -- the -- is the law it's happened these cuts are being implemented I think there's -- -- be more pressure to say wait a second let's back this up and at least try to find the flexibility in areas so where we find something that we know we shouldn't -- -- -- we don't -- it.
Our -- if I'm 37000 dollars eleven number is in ways to try department education he could find that you know by tomorrow at -- they could do that -- -- and they way they won't anyway Rick thank you thanks -- --
