Sen. Patty Murray is giving a warning just two months from a government shutdown.
The potential loss of federal dollars puts Head Start preschool families at risk of losing the program they rely on.
Rose Camacho wants Head Start to be there for her three-year-old daughter, Eva-Miamor Lynch.
“It is absolutely giving us a foundation for the rest of her life,” Camacho said at the Denise Louie Education Center in Seattle’s International District.
Head Start is the federally financed program that gets kids ready for elementary school.
It offers nutrition, health and parenting services for families who are working poor and may also face language barriers.
After lunch, Murray read one of her favorite stories to the children. Then she reminded reporters of what happened the last time the government shutdown two years ago.
"Those budget cuts forced Head Start to cut off services to nearly 60,000 children including 1,000 here in Washington State," Murray said.
The House Republicans' chaotic search for a new speaker makes it even more difficult to avoid a government shutdown in November.
Two years ago, Murray, a Democrat, worked successfully with Republican Paul Ryan to create a budget compromise.
Asked if that would make avoiding a shutdown easier, Murray responded:
“Look, Paul Ryan and I share very different world views but we both agreed to come together and solve the crisis two years ago.”
At the Denise Louie Education Center, a government shutdown has the potential to be devastating.
“On top of our daily struggles, we have to look to the future and wonder, ‘where am I going to go’,” Murray said. “Where is she going to go?”
KIRO
