Urgent Action Request to Stop the Sequester

• As many of you know, without Congressional intervention this week, Sequestration is set to take effect on March 1 (Friday). Sequestration is the across-the-board federal budget cut totaling $1.2 trillion which will go into effect on Friday, March 1^st.  
• The estimates around the potential final impact have been fluctuating, but the updated impact data are based on an approximated 5% cut to federal education funding. Please note that the below state-by-state specific links are provided by the White House – which means they are written by the White House and the tone can be slightly political.Oregon PTA urges all of our members to take just five minutes and contact their federal representatives and senators and ask them to ensure sequestration does not happen.  Below is a sample letter/talking points for advocates to use when contacting their legislators, as well as detailed impact data for Oregon, a link to find legislator contact information, and a link to National PTA sequestration toolkit, which contains a handy FAQ, giving you more information about 
• sequestration.

• Hello, I am ________, president/member/etc. of _________ PTA.

• As a parent and constituent voter, I am calling/emailing to urge Senator/Representative _______ work across the aisle to identify a balanced, responsible deficit reduction plan in
• place of sequestration that does not further reduce investment in education and long term economic health.

• Non-defense discretionary programs have already contributed $1.5 trillion to deficit reduction – a disproportionate share. Since 2002, per-capita inflation adjusted spending on education alone has been reduced by 14.2%, excluding Pell Grants.

• Without Congressional action, Sequestration will result in approximately $2.4 billion in cuts to education programs – leaving students, schools, and families short-changed starting in the 2013-2014 school year. For (STATE), this will mean (fill-in using state-specific numbers below).

• Thank you for taking time to speak with a concerned parent and advocate about investment in education – a necessary component of long-term national prosperity.

• PTA is counting on Senator/Representative ________ to act on behalf of students and families.

We ask that members contact their Senator/Representatives by Thursday, February 28^th, 2013 by 1:00pm PST. If you are calling, please contact the Washington DC office, and ask to speak to the staffer who handles budget and/or education.

Thank you for your continued work on behalf of Oregon and its students!  Please contact Nina Carlson at 503 312-0683 or teufelhill@yahoo.com  with questions about this Action Alert, and if emailing, please include office@oregonpta.org in the cc line.

For details about what sequestration means to Oregon students visit:http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/sequester-factsheets/Oregon.pdfTo find your legislator visit: www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr

For more information about sequestration visit: http://pta.org/advocacy/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3402