This month the congressional super committee will try to come up with a plan to cut $1.2 trillion in federal spending, and if it fails, as many expect, early learning and education programs may be hit hardest, Bloomberg News reports.

The story explores what programs would be reduced under automatic spending cuts triggered by the panel’s failure, and those include the Head Start health and nutrition program, Child Welfare Services, vaccine efforts and Title 1 spending. 

The Bloomberg story is by far the best I’ve read about the impact of the debt-ceiling deal – the latest in a decades-long line of political attempts to address the federal budget deficit – on public spending and people’s lives. It is a great read and worth it just to see the disparity between what the AARP spends on lobbying and what the Children’s Defense Fund lays out.

Why would programs for children be cut more deeply than many others?  

With Democrats and the 37 million-member AARP seniors’ lobby working to protect Medicare and Social Security, and Republicans opposing tax increases to curb the deficit, programs for young people may be disproportionate targets if negotiators can’t reach a budget deal and automatic spending cuts kick in. “ ‘Generational War’ Seen as U.S. Debt Panel May Target Children’s Programs.” 11/1/11. Bloomberg News.

During a decade covering Congress, including five years at Bloomberg, I learned that entrenched special interests, like the AARP, nearly always win legislative and budget battles. So, how can early learning groups educate Congress about the long-term economic and social fallout from a failure by the super committee?

Perhaps more senators and representatives should watch this Pre-K Now video.

One constant about Congress, though, is there is almost always a way to dodge a truly tough cut, and I bet there is something tucked into this process that will allow legislators and the Obama administration to avoid some of these potential spending reductions.

(Thanks to Early Ed Watch’s new daily media digest for finding the Bloomberg story. Sign up for the news feed here.)