Bruce Lesley

Keeping kids safe and free from harm should be common sense. However, last week the Department of Labor caved to opposition from big-money, corporate special interests and withdrew a proposal that would have prevented nearly 27,000 debilitating injuries and 80 deaths annually for child farm laborers. The opposition,...

The greatest generation of America's last century survived the Great Depression, fought and defeated global tyranny, built the great American middle class, and so much more. And, as America's growing numbers of senior citizens hit retirement age in increasing numbers, they are deeply concerned about the next generation's future. Recent...

President Obama's State of the Union address called for the restoration of an America "where everybody gets a fair shot." Today, however, nearly one-fourth of our nation's children live in poverty -- a figure that is inexcusable. That is why it is so alarming that some...

American families should be working their way into the middle class, not falling out of it. Yet today, families are living month to month, hoping their car doesn't break down because they have no idea where they'd find the money to fix it, and desperately trying to keep from losing...

Two new important but disturbing reports, Children's Budget 2011 by First Focus and Kids' Share 2011 by the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, were released today. Although the reports show a temporary increase in federal support for children in federal funding in 2009 and 2010, the long-term trend is...

For the first time in our nation's history, the majority of Americans don't believe their kids will have the same opportunities they had to lead a happy, healthy, and prosperous life. And, when Americans no longer believe in the American Dream, it's time to reclaim our heritage. As the President...

No one questions we are in tough times. More than one in five children is poor; one in four children is at risk of hunger; nearly 8 million children go uninsured; unemployment is unacceptably high; and poverty is rising. Families are struggling, and as they do, so do their children.

As is the ritual in Washington every two years, this week Congress began a new legislative session with Republican John Boehner (R-OH) holding the Speaker's gavel. In remarks opening the 112th Session, Speaker Boehner recognized the enormous challenges of our times, including the staggering national unemployment rate and mounting federal...

Imagine what it would be like to reach your senior year in high school, having worked hard, excelled, made life-long friends, and applied to several colleges. But instead of receiving a letter of admission, you have a politician or federal agent tell you that you aren't a citizen of the...

As the recession continues, child advocates are rightfully worried about kids. And now they have a new cause for worry. An entirely new category of children is in jeopardy -- the two million children being raised in military families. As recently as a decade ago, child advocates could afford to...

Over the past few months, the topic of immigration has continued to fuel debate among legislators, the media, and the American public. With federal immigration reform currently stalled in Congress and controversial state laws like the one passed in Arizona continuing to threaten the livelihood of hardworking immigrant families, our...

With the entire nation buzzing over President Obama's historic health care victory, many Americans are trying to understand how this new law will affect their everyday lives. For some of our nation's most vulnerable children with special health care needs, President Obama has announced that, beginning this September, health insurance...

For the first time in American history, adults do not believe that our nation's children will have the opportunities they had to live a happy, healthy, and prosperous life. And over the past five years, the response from our nation's leaders has been to decrease the share of...

Twenty years ago today, leading nations of the world put aside conflicting interests and cultural differences to unite behind a common purpose -- the acknowledgment of the fundamental rights of the world's most important and most vulnerable population, our children. Indeed, the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the...

Covering the Unique Health Care Needs of Children

By now, we all know the debate over reforming our nation's health system has taken over the political discourse at home, on television, and on the internet. We are seeing a flurry of information from pundits, bloggers, and experts regarding what the...