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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) was named as one of the year’s “Best Representatives for Children” in the Children’s Defense Fund Action Council’s (CDFAC) 2007 Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard, which grades every Member of Congress based on key votes affecting children.

“As the father of three children, it is truly an honor to be recognized for my commitment to the next generation,” Arcuri said. “It is unconscionable that in the greatest nation in the world there are children without adequate health care, children with working parents who struggle to pay for food and rising home heating costs. I will continue to stand up for children in New York and across the country.”

In his first year in office, Arcuri voted to protect the health and well-being of New York children 100 percent of the time. Arcuri achieved this distinction by voting to support the first increase in the minimum wage in a decade, access and quality improvements in Head Start, and additional funds for student loans.

Arcuri also voted repeatedly for legislation to provide health care to over 10 million children nationwide, including 396,042 children currently enrolled in New York’s SCHIP program (CHPlus).

“I applaud Representative Arcuri for his commitment to improving the lives of children in New York,” said CDFAC President Marian Wright Edelman.  “With 9.4 million uninsured children in America and nearly 13 million living in poverty, it is critical that we have Representatives committed to making children a priority.  Representative Arcuri is a dedicated advocate for children and has truly earned the distinction of being one of the best Representatives for children.”

The CDFAC educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventative investment before they get sick or into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family breakdown. The CDF Action Council began in 1969 and is a private, non-profit organization that has never taken government funds.

CDFAC developed an interactive map and other online tools to show how Members of Congress voted by state. To see the interactive map as well as the 2007 Congressional Scorecard in its entirety, which includes the grades of all Members of Congress, visit: www.cdfactioncouncil.org.

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