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LEGISLATIVE ALERT4/12/2006House and Senate on Spring Break—House Budget Vote Put Off Until After Break- Contact Your Member of Congress Today
The House of Representatives failed to reach a deal on a final House Budget Resolution for the 2007 budget. Congratulations on making your voices heard!
The next step is for the House Leadership to make a second effort when House members return on April 24. Members of Congress are likely to hold town meetings or participate in other public events between now and the end of the Spring break. Continue to make your concerns known. You can call your member of the U.S. House of Representatives or attend one of their public events and tell them to oppose the resolution that was passed by the House Budget Committee.
ACTION REQUIRED*Call or meet your U.S. Representative within the next week. You can call the Capitol Hill switchboard in the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121 or call your local congressional office phone number. Better yet, if they are holding a public forum, make a personal visit.
*Once you make your contact, please send this Legislative Alert to others you know who care about children and families, and urge them to take similar action.
MESSAGE* Vote against the budget resolution passed by the House Budget Committee last week. It will force cuts to SSBG, many children’s programs including child care, and juvenile justice, and result in additional cuts to entitlement programs.
Thank you for your continued advocacy. *For a more detailed description of the House and White House proposed cuts to SSBG go to: CWLA's Legislative Agenda or contact Tim Briceland-Betts, CWLA Co-Director of Government Affairs, at 202-942-0256.
BACKGROUNDOn Wednesday, March 29 the House Budget Committee adopted a budget resolution that follows most of the President’s 2007 proposed spending levels. The resolution does not include the proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid but does include a discretionary funding level of $873 billion, the same as the Administration’s request. The funding level in the House resolution and in the administration’s budget also proposes an increase of seven percent for the Defense Department. In effect such a proposal, if adopted would require cuts to many domestic programs since the Defense budget makes up more than half the discretionary spending. Discretionary spending must be approved by appropriators each year and it covers programs such as child care, Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) and many other children’s programs.
The House resolution does not provide the level of funding that the Senate-passed resolution does, as it includes $6.8 billion in benefit cuts from mandatory programs. It also assumes the President’s proposed cut of $500 million to the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG).
The House leadership failed to hold a vote on the Committee-passed resolution before they left for the Spring break. They intend to try again after the break, but if they are still unable to secure the necessary support they may try and move appropriations bills without an overall resolution. Such an action would make it impossible to have another package of budget reconciliation cuts similar to last February’s Deficit Reduction Act. Some House Republicans want further cuts while another group is negotiating for fewer cuts.
Keep up the pressure! Urge members to vote against the budget resolution unless it provides more funding to vital programs and rejects the cut to SSBG.
© Child Welfare League of America. The content of these publications may not be reproduced in any way, including posting on the Internet, without the permission of CWLA. For permission to use material from CWLA's website or publications, contact us using our website assistance form.
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