Time to end this child cruelty

Dear Editor,

The current Republican administration is showing an unprecedented cruelty toward children.

The Republican-controlled House voted to take access to health care away from 20 million people including our nation’s poorest and sickest children, those using Medicaid.

Nebraska’s Congressional representatives, all Republicans, voted in favor of this cruel action.

This month, the Republican-controlled Congress allowed funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, CHIP to lapse, putting 9 million children and their families into medical limbo, Trumps’ proposed budget does not contain any funding for CHIP.

Trump has ended protection for young DREAMERS and made them a bargaining chip for his border wall (which he said Mexico was going to pay for!) and pitted their status against that of unaccompanied children fleeing gang violence in Central America.

Trumps’ proposed budget also cuts funding for victims of sexual assault and sexual violence, many of whom are adolescents or children of women who are trying to escape an abusive partner.

Trump has also made it harder than ever for teenagers to get contraceptives and counseling on reproductive health issues because he has expanded the rights of employers to deny coverage for contraception.

All totally cruel, unnecessary acts that harm children and their families. And if all this was not enough damage, the Trump administration has issued guidance that erodes civil rights protections for LGBTQ people, victimizing our most vulnerable youth and putting them in the hands of bullies.

It is time to stop this cruelty.

Jayne Lyons,

McCook, Neb.