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Republicans made a stark choice when they refused to work with President Obama and Democrats to avert the sequester: They declared that tax loopholes for the wealthy are more important than protecting middle-class families.

As a result, school districts, teachers, and families across the country are bracing for dramatic, damaging—and unnecessary—cuts to their education programs. Stories like these are popping up across the country. Here's a snapshot of what the GOP sequester means for education:

In Arizona, the Window Rock School District in the Navajo nation is proposing to close three of its seven schools as a direct result of the GOP sequester. Those schools are among the 1,600 public schools on Native American reservations and military bases that are reeling from the cuts to their budgets.

University of Nevada–Las Vegas students expect to lose a percentage of their financial aid and see the availability of campus jobs dwindle because of the GOP sequester. Statewide, more than 100 work-study students could lose their jobs.

The University of Missouri expects a $17 million loss in funding. That puts student financial aid at risk. 1,166 Missouri students could lose federal work-study benefits, and nearly 2,000 students could lose federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.

48,000 young children would lose their access to Head Start—more than 30 percent of whom are Latino.

School officials in Gainesville, Florida, predict cuts in funding for school nutrition, special education, reading skills, migrant education, and programs for low-income and at-risk children.

Georgia is expected to lose $28.6 million in federal funding for primary and secondary education. This loss of funding puts 390 teacher and teacher's aide jobs at risk.

The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the GOP sequester will force 50,000 job losses across medical schools and health care facilities nationwide.

Southern Oregon Head Start expects their current school year to be shortened as a result of the GOP sequester. Next year, 50 children could lose their spots at this preschool program.

Fed up? Tell Republicans that our children's educations are more important than politics. Add your name now.

Our chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, just sent this email on the GOP sequester:

Friend --

Friday at midnight, the sequester went into effect -- and Republicans are counting on the possibility that you won't notice.

While it may take time for the harmful effects of these billions of dollars in automatic cuts to be felt by some Americans, some families are already starting to feel the pain -- like families on military bases.

The sequester immediately cut a program called "Impact Aid" which is a major source of funding for schools on military bases. So now military families -- including those with a family member deployed overseas -- have to worry about immediate cuts to teaching staff, increased class sizes, and delayed building repairs.

Our men and women in uniform fighting overseas shouldn't have to worry about fighting to keep their kids in school back home just because Republicans in Congress are unwilling to negotiate.

Tell congressional Republicans to come back to the table right away to negotiate with President Obama to end the sequester. Add your name now.

President Obama has laid out a balanced, fair approach to end the sequester -- and it's supported by more than three-quarters of Americans.

But Republicans won't even consider it. And the longer they refuse to come to an agreement, the more these harmful effects will spread. Teachers could be laid off, health care for military families could be cut, support for mentally ill children could be reduced, and hundreds of thousands of jobs could be lost.

It's truly appalling.

The only way Republicans will come back to the table to end the sequester is if they know it's politically unsustainable not to -- that's why they need to know that constituents like you want them to stop these devastating cuts.

Tell my Republican colleagues to do their job and end the sequester. Click below to add your name:

http://my.democrats.org/GOP-Sequester

Thanks,

Debbie

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee