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LEGISLATIVE ALERT
© 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.
June 21, 2002
Immediate Action Needed
Senate Finance Committee to Vote on Child Care Next Week
The Senate Finance Committee plans to meet on Tuesday, June 25, to make
critical decisions on legislation to renew the TANF welfare program and
the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)
and a number of key Committee members have crafted a proposal that
provides only $4-5 billion in new funds for child care over the next
five years. This is well below what is needed to address the child care
needs of working families and is far less than the $11.2 billion
increase that many Senators are supporting. The need for additional
child care is great and may grow if Congress adopts additional work
requirements for TANF recipients.
ACTION REQUIRED: CALL YOUR U.S. SENATORS. It is urgent that Senators on
the Finance Committee hear from constituents about the need for more
child care funding. Ask them to make sure that any child care/welfare
bill includes $11.25 billion in new funds for child care.
MESSAGE: The critical child care needs of working families must not be neglected:
- Currently, less than 1 in 7 eligible families receive child care assistance.
- Increased funding is needed to improve child care quality and provider reimbursement rates.
- Regardless of whether work requirements are increased in TANF, child care funding must be increased.
If your Senators are not members of the Finance Committee, ask them to contact Finance Committee members with this important message.
You can reach all Senate offices through the Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121.
Finance Committee Members to call:
Democrats:
Max Baucus, MT (Chair), 202-224-4515
John D. Rockefeller IV, WV, 202-224-6472
Thomas Daschle, SD, 202-224-2321
John Breaux, LA, 202-224-4623
Kent Conrad, ND, 202-224-2043
Bob Graham, FL, 202-224-3041
Robert Torricelli, NJ, 202-224-3224
Blanche Lincoln, AR, 202-224-4843
Independent:
James Jeffords, VT, 202-224-5141
Republicans:
Charles Grassley, IA (Ranking Member), 202-224-5315
Orrin Hatch, UT, 202-224-5251
Frank Murkowski, AK, 202-224-6665
Don Nickles, OK, 202-224-5754
Phil Gramm, TX, 202-224-2934
Trent Lott, MS, 202-224-6253
Fred Thompson, TN, 202-224-4944
Olympia Snowe, ME, 202-224-5344
Jon Kyl, AZ, 202-224-4521
Craig Thomas, WY, 202-224-6441
BACKGROUND:
The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over TANF reauthorization
and mandatory child care funding. The Committee intends to debate and
vote on legislation Tuesday, June 25. The bill would then be debated on
the Senate floor in July. The amount of child care funding approved by
the Senate Finance Committee will be very influential in whatever final
agreement is negotiated with the House of Representatives and the White
House.
For more information, call CWLA Government Affairs at 202/942-0257 or
contact Liz Meitner, Vice President of Government Affairs, at
emeitner@cwla.org.
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