Catholic Charities USA 2003 legislative priorities

In session
January 2003

Affordable housing tops Catholic Charities USA's 2003 legislative agenda
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Catholic Charities USA establishes 2003 legislative priorities
Urge a peaceful settlement to Iraq/Korea confrontations

Catholic Charities USA establishes its 2003 legislative priorities
Each year a set of legislative priorities are recommended by the Social Policy Committee and adopted by the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities USA. Four levels of advocacy distinguish these priorities between those that require proactive advocacy and those for which a more reactive, monitoring strategy is most appropriate:

Level 1: Highest priority issues that require Catholic Charities USA to take a leading role. Involves proactive, intensive advocacy through testimony, active lobbying, and research.

The 2003 Level 1 priorities include:

Housing

* Develop and support proposals to increase the production of permanent housing for low- and moderate-income families

* Support full funding for Section 8 and Section 202 housing programs Homelessness-McKinney Act

* Support proposals to increase the supply of permanent housing for homeless individuals and families through the reauthorization of the McKinney Act

* Support increased resources for social and health services for homeless individuals and families Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

* Support improvements in the TANF program to reduce child poverty; improve employability of recipients; ensure quality, affordable child car; provide adequate income for families; and support marriage and family life

Immigration-Legalization

* Support immigration reforms to help undocumented workers to adjust to legal status

* Support restoration of 245(i) toward family reunification

* Support due process for legal and undocumented immigrants

* Support restoration of federal benefits to legal immigrants

Medicaid/Health Care Access

* Support increased access to affordable health insurance coverage for the uninsured and underinsured

* Support legislation to facilitate enrollment of children in Medicaid and SCHIP

* Preserve the Medicaid entitlement and benefits for low-income individuals

* Support the restoration of Medicaid and SCHIP coverage for legal immigrants Social Services Block Grant (SSBG)

* Support initiatives that would guarantee adequate SSBG funding

Level 2: High priority issues that require active lobbying and research.

The 2003 Level 2 priorities include:

Child Care

* Support adequate funding and reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)

* Support incentives to states to improve quality of subsidized child care

* Support increased access to child care for children whose parents work non-traditional hours

* Support improvements to and reauthorization of the Head Start Program Child Welfare

* Develop and support new policies to guarantee health treatment and rehabilitation services to abused and neglected children in foster care

* Promote policies to assist both public and private nonprofit agencies to improve quality of child welfare services

Budget and Tax

* Promote just and fair budget and tax policies to provide adequate resources for federal investments in housing, health care, and social services for lower-income households

Hunger-Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)

* Promote adequate funding for EFSP

Faith-Based Initiatives

* Support proposals designed to increase the resources available to faith-based and community groups that provide assistance to low-income individuals and families

Level 3: Legislative priorities that require monitoring and reactive strategies, such as letters and alerts from Catholic Charities USA include refugee resettlement, farmworker justice, national service, rural development, and access to mental health care.

Level 4: Issues to be monitored and addressed through work with coalitions include older Americans act, juvenile justice, access to services for people with disabilities, and the minimum wage.

For more information:
Catholic Charities USA

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