The powerful House Rules Committee is due to consider a budget bill that will do significant harm to families in West Virginia and throughout the nation.

U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) has urged the Rules Committee to consider the damage the Republican-backed budget will have on West Virginia and, in a letter to all the members of the committee, urged them to either significantly improve the budget, allow the House to consider amendment on the floor or start the budget-writing process over again.

The Rules Committee, which has the power and authority to modify the budget bill, was the last stop before the budget is brought to the House floor, which is expected to happen Thursday.

"The State of West Virginia and its families will be particularly vulnerable to the cuts made by this reverse-Robin Hood budget," said Rahall.

The Republican-written budget will force states to make up a $53 billion shortfall over the next five years and guts a number of essential programs that will negatively affect West Virginia families and their pocketbooks. Examples include higher interest rates for college loans and the loss of school lunches and child care support for thousands of families.

"West Virginia has one of the lowest percentages of college graduates per capita in the nation-why would anyone want to make it more difficult for kids to get a college education," Rahall questioned.

"Clearly, the needs of West Virginia are not represented in this budget."