*** PLEASE! *** STOP THE BUDGET CUTS! Act on behalf of the least of these.

[Sapphire Blue]

An email from the Coalition on Human Needs...

National Call-In Week
To Stop Federal Budget Cuts Starts January 23

Call your U.S. Representative toll-free: 800-426-8073

PLEASE FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NETWORKS

Tell Your Representative: Don't Choose Special Interests Over Families!
Vote Against The Budget Cut Bill!

On December 19, the House of Representatives approved a budget bill in the middle of the night that slashes aid Americans depend on – after having only a few hours to read the nearly 800-page bill.

The bill protects powerful interests with high-paid lobbyists such as the health insurance industry, pharmacuetical companies, and banks -- while it hurts people who need Medicaid, student loans, child care, child support enforcement, and disability assistance.

Because the Senate made some small changes, the bill goes back to the House for another vote on February 1. Now they have plenty of time to learn how their constituents are hurt – and vote NO.

For a PDF flier with this information, click here: http://www.chn.org/pdf/JanuaryCallInFlier.pdf

Call your U.S. Representative toll-free at 800-426-8073 starting January 23. This number will connect you to the Capitol switchboard. The person at the switchboard can connect you to your Representative's office, and if you're not sure who your Representative is, they can figure it out for you. After you’re connected with a staff person from your Representative’s office, tell them:

“My name is _______________ and I live in (your town/city). I would like Representative to vote NO on the budget cuts bill (S.1932). This bill will cut billions in vital services, including Medicaid, SSI, foster care, child care, child support and student loans.

I urge the Representative to vote against this bill because it chooses special interests over families.”

Making Sure You Get Through To Your Members’ Offices
If you can't get through on that line, please call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at [phone] or
find their direct line at http://www.house.gov/.

For more information, visit the Coalition on Human Needs website at http://www.chn.org/.

The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee which has launched a
budget campaign, http://www.afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/. AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of the non-partisan budget goals towards which CHN always works and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.

Do not reply to this email. But we want to hear from you! If you wish to contact CHN, find our contact information at http://www.chn.org/about/staff.html.

==========================
Please forward this e-mail!

Please, I am begging once again for DUers to act on the behalf of those who have no voice, no power, those who will be severely hurt by these cruel budget cuts. Please take a few moments of your time to call your representative toll-free this week @ 1-800-426-8073 asking them to vote NO on the budget cuts bill (S.1932).

Thank you for your kindness & concern,

Sapphire Blue

[jarnocan]

1. thanks

for sharing this. will do it tomorrow.

[stepnw1f]

2. It's Pasted Onto Craigslist

thanks for the info Sapphire.


- your johnny appleseed

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Thanks...

... for planting seeds of kindness. :hug:

[UrbScotty]

3. K&R - Matthew 25:40 (nt)

[Sapphire Blue]

6. ...

:hug:

[UrbScotty]

7. I like your avatar (nt)

[Sapphire Blue]

8. Thanks, it's one that I made.

The suffering caused by poverty is an issue that is very close to my heart. We can't turn our backs on those in need... and we can't allow our government to pass unjust legislation.

[Sydnie]

4. kick and rec'd n/t

[slipslidingaway]

9. K&R , vote is set for 2/1 and was only passed by 6 votes. Links...

Six Democrats did not vote, 10 Republicans did not vote and 9 Republicans voted against the budget cuts.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll670.xml
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/ROLL_600.asp


Also Bush was asked yesterday about the 12.7 billion cut to education, he said they were reforming the program and not cutting money out of it?

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/23/sophomore-stumps-bush/


"A point by point analysis of the Republican Budget
Cuts to Student Aid

THE HONORABLE GEORGE MILLER, SENIOR DEMOCRATIC MEMBER, THE HOUSE EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE COMMITTEE"

9 page pdf
http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/pdfs/raidonstudentaidupdate.pdf


Also...
http://www.house.gov/budget_democrats/


Thanks for the reminder Sapphire Blue!

[Sapphire Blue]

11. Thanks for these links! PLEASE, everyone, call your reps before Feb 1!!!!!

[slipslidingaway]

19. You are welcome, there is still a week and hope that this issue

gets more attention. :)

[mom cat]

10. Great...forwarded to my circle...

[Sapphire Blue]

12. TANF Updates

Another email from the Coalition on Human Needs - Jan 18, 2006 (http://www.chn.org)...

TANF Updates

Follow Up from Welfare Advocates' Meeting
Last week the Coalition held a Welfare Advocates' Meeting to discuss the provisions reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program within the budget reconciliation bill. Mark Greenberg put together a presentation on the TANF provisions and we have posted his slides in a PDF format here: http://www.chn.org/pdf/2006tanfinbudget.pdf

To see how the new work participation requirements will affect each state, see Mark's paper on the Center on Law and Social Policy (CLASP) web site: http://www.clasp.org/publications/tanfagreement_update_jan12.pdf

Vicki Turetsky discussed how the bill will cause families to lose child support. To see state-by-state numbers, see her paper on the CLASP web site: http://www.clasp.org/publications/incentive_payments_121405.pdf

The House is scheduled to vote on the budget bill February 1.

TANF Sign-On Letter
In December, the BOB Coalition sent a letter to Congress to keep TANF out of reconciliation. More than 70 groups signed on. The BOB Coalition are re-criculating the letter for groups who have not already signed on. To see a copy of the letter and to add your organization's sign on, contact Alex Walden at Legal Momentum at 202-326-0075 or [e-mail].

==========================
Please forward this e-mail!

[Sapphire Blue]

13. Call your rep @ 1-800-426-8073 to vote NO on the budget cuts bill (S.1932)

[Sapphire Blue]

14. State Reports: How Budget Cuts Will Affect Your State (January 2006)

http://www.chn.org/issues/opportunityforall/statefactsheets.html

[Sapphire Blue]

15. Kick... PLEASE call your rep @ 1-800-426-8073!

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

16. Federal Budget Conference Call for State and Local Human Needs Advocates:

Another email from the Coalition on Human Needs - Jan 24, 2006 (http://www.chn.org/)...

Federal Budget Conference Call for State and Local Human Needs Advocates:
FY06 Federal Budget Reconciliation Update And Training for FY07 Budget Advocacy

Thursday, February 2 at 2 p.m. , Eastern time (11:00 a.m., Pacific time)
Dial-In Number: 888-373-5705
Passcode: 104437

If you work at an organization that is willing to engage in field and press activities to protect human needs programs from cuts in the federal budget (or already is engaged), please join this call!

Please RSVP to [e-mail] so that we can send you materials related to the call and have the appropriate number of lines available. (Do not reply directly to this email.)

This conference call will take place a day after the House is scheduled to vote on the fiscal year 2006 budget reconciliation bill, marking the possible end of the FY06 budget process. It will also be two days after the President's State of the Union Address, marking the start of the fiscal year 2007 budget process.
Presenters:

Ellen Nissenbaum, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
Update on House action on FY 2006 budget cuts bill and upcoming tax cut votes
Preview of important issues expected in the President's Budget (to be released February 6)
Next steps for the FY 2007 budget

Deborah Weinstein, Coalition on Human Needs:
Talking about the President's budget - resources to help you comment to the press and to Congress about the impact on your state

Moderated by Jan Richter, Connect for Kids:
Many thanks to Connect for Kids for making the toll-free number available.

==========================
Please forward this e-mail!

[Sapphire Blue]

17. Assessing the effects of the budget conference

ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF THE BUDGET CONFERENCE
AGREEMENT ON LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS
by Sharon Parrott, Edwin Park, and Robert Greenstein

(excerpt)

Some Congressional leaders are claiming that the low-income provisions in the conference agreement on the budget reconciliation bill are modest and will not harm vulnerable families. Many of the legislation’s key provisions were altered behind closed doors in weekend negotiations, and the legislation was not released until after 1:00 the morning of December 19, just hours before House members had to vote on the legislation. Not surprisingly, there was considerable confusion over what the legislation actually does when the House passed it.

Because the Senate subsequently deleted several minor provisions from the conference agreement before it passed it, the legislation has to go back to the House for another vote. When the House acts this time, perhaps as early as February 1, there should be no confusion about what the legislation would do.

Careful examination of the 774-page legislation shows that the conference agreement would, in fact, cause considerable hardship among low-income families and individuals. The legislation contains cuts in various areas, including Medicaid, that would directly affect low-income families and individuals and are closer to provisions in the original House-passed reconciliation bill than to the provisions of the Senate bill. This is due in no small part to action by the conferees to shield certain powerful special interests — principally pharmaceutical companies and the managed care industry — and instead to extract sizable savings from low-income families.


(For more info about the cuts in the conference agreement, please continue reading @ http://www.cbpp.org/12-20-05bud.htm)

PLEASE Call your U.S. Representative toll-free @ 1-800-426-8073 to vote NO on S.1932.

[Sapphire Blue]

18. I appreciate the replies & recommendations, but am feeling disheartened...

... and discouraged w/the continued sinking of this thread.

Please, we have one week to contact our representatives to urge them to vote NO on S.1932; the vote is scheduled for February 1. Please call on behalf of those who will suffer from these proposed cruel budget cuts!

Your voice is needed... if you have access to a telephone, please call your representative toll-free @ 1-800-426-8073.

US House of Representatives Offices: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

[Wind Dancer]

20. Kick!

Sapphire Blue,

Thanks for posting this information.

This bill is shameful, pure and simple.

[Sapphire Blue]

21. Yes, it IS shameful... and if people don't contact their reps...

... to vote against it, it will be even more shameful. What has this country come to when we stop caring for each other? When we allow this kind of legislation to move forward w/o a major outcry?

In December, religious & social justice leaders & activists in this country protested against this immoral budget on the steps of the Canon Bldg, more than a hundred arrested.

Testimony & photos of those arrested: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.display_c&item=051214_arrests_testimony

Video: rtsp://real.faithandvalues.com/streaming/sojourners/051214_moralbudget.rm

Where is the rest of America?!?!?!?

Where is DU?!?!?!?

The call is toll-free, only takes a few minutes of one's time... 1-800-426-8073. PLEASE call!!!

[northofdenali]

22. K&R Sapphire.

Although I have only 1 Repuke Rep to go to (Don Young, the repukest of Repukes), I've made the call.

I hope against hope that this travesty will fail. But I don't count on it. :(

[slipslidingaway]

23. Thought this might be of interest ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x242243

snip

"We believe that any investigation into the Alexander Strategy Group should also examine what role the firm played in the budget reconciliation bill, specifically with regard to the prescription drug provisions. We further urge you not to bring the reconciliation bill before Congress until after this investigation is completed. The lobbying disclosure filings that cover the period of the conference will be available on February 15. At a minimum, Congress should not consider the legislation until these filings have been studied.

Conclusion

The image and integrity of Congress have been called into serious question. To restore public faith in Congress, the institution must initiate a careful examination of how corrupt practices have influenced the legislative process. Understanding what went wrong is a prerequisite to accountability and reform.

For these reasons, we urge you to direct an immediate investigation into the legislative process that produced the Medicare Prescription Drug Act, the drafting of the pharmaceutical provisions in the pending budget reconciliation bill, and the role of the Alexander Strategy Group."