Legislative alerts from Network

In session
March 2004

Legislative alerts
Procuring a free trade sneak attack on states' rights
U.S. Catholics lobby Congress

Legislative alerts
sponsored by NETWORK, a Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Please be advised that Congressional offices in Washington cannot accept postal mail until further notice. Therefore, you should contact your Members of Congress via e-mail or fax, or you may send letters to their district offices.

1. Housing Voucher Program Proposal is Unacceptable
Join with housing advocates across the country for a National Call-in. Call your Representative and Senators and tell them that the President’s proposal for the housing voucher program in the FY 05 budget is unacceptable. Also request that the staff in charge of housing issues attend a briefing on Friday, March 5, from11 AMtonoonin Rayburn 2220 to learn more about the impact of the proposal.

The changes to the housing voucher program proposed by the President in the FY 05 budget are the most in the history of the program. The FY 05 funding allocated is $1.6 billion less than needed to cover all the housing vouchers currently in use. Therefore, the cuts would place thousands of people at risk of losing their housing. As the Members work on the budget, it is crucial that they protect the voucher program and the people it serves.

The future funding would be even more drastically cut; by 2009 there would be a loss of 800,000 vouchers. Important tenant protections would also be removed, as Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) would not be required to serve people with the lowest incomes or keep rent at 30 percent of a resident’s income.

Current voucher holders would not be protected. Because PHAs would be under pressure to serve the same number of families with fewer dollars, families with extremely low incomes could be at risk of losing their vouchers to families with higher incomes.

2. Oppose H.R. 3848, Reauthorization of TANF Bill
Call your Representatives and Senators to ask that they oppose H.R. 3848, which would reauthorize Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant programs throughJune 30, 2004while changing a significant provision in current legislation. The provision would eliminate the credit which permits states to allow job training and other support services for people who are trying to become eligible for a job.

Representative Wally Herger (R-CA) could introduce HR 3848 as early as this week. This bill, unlike a clean extension of TANF, would actually cause more harm than the current legislation to people who are struggling to find family-sustainable jobs.

3. Medicare Follow-Up
To educate the public about the Medicare Modernization Act of 2004 that passed in November, Families USA has launched a nationwide awareness program called the Medicare Road Show. NETWORK invites you to learn more about this Road Show by visiting our Medicare page. The show may be coming to a city near you!

4. Tax Cuts Must Not Be Made Permanent: Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to oppose making the tax cuts permanent. The nation does not need more tax breaks that will create a serious long-term fiscal crisis, benefit people that are already well off, and explode the national debt.

A sample letter is available at www.networklobby.org—enter your zip code in the "Write to Congress" box and then select the message on "Budget—Tax Cuts." Congress is now preparing its budget resolution, a blueprint for FY 05 spending and taxes. It is critical that members hear from their constituents. The priority of the President's plan is to make the tax cuts permanent, which means cutting or freezing most non-defense, non-homeland programs.

Harm would be inflicted on low-income working families and our most vulnerable and needy citizens by starving key programs they depend on. The cuts to programs get progressively deeper after 2005. By 2009, funding for domestic discretionary programs would be cut by $50 billion below 2004 after adjusting for inflation. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) The tax cuts already implemented have failed to create jobs and are creating record-high deficits. The nation doesn't need more tax breaks for the wealthy but a tax system that is equitable and just, and raises sufficient revenue to meet the basic needs of the nation.

5. Call for Full Funding of President Bush's Promise for Global AIDS: Call or email your Senators and Representative to request that the FY 2005 budget fully fund President Bush's promise to put $15 billion into the Global AIDS Fund over the next five years. ($5.4 billion a year is the amount the United Nations says is actually needed in 2005.)

At least the $3 billion a year that was promised in January 2003 should be included. For a sample letter, please go to our website at www.networklobby.org—enter your zip code in the "Write to Congress" box and then select the message on "Funds for Global AIDS." In the President's 2005 budget, only $2.8 billion is listed for funding for AIDS, and $2.4 billion was included in the FY 2004 budget. The President's budget makes these cuts while including items such as a $2.6 billion for a new nuclear attack submarine.

6. Oppose Massive Military Spending in FY 2005 Budget: Contact your Members of Congress to state your opposition to the President's budget:

* "No" to funding cuts in human needs programs such as affordable housing, environmental protection and the safety net.

* "No" to another increase in the military budget at the expense of the programs that provide for the well-being of the community.

A sample letter is available at www.networklobby.org—enter your zip code in the "Write to Congress" box and then select the message on "FY 05 Budget Concerns - Military Spending."

President Bush's budget contains another massive increase for military spending (up 7 percent). However, that $420 billion price tag—which eats up over half of the discretionary budget—doesn't include any additional money to pay the costs of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All other discretionary programs such as health care, housing, and environmental protection are held to under a .05 percent increase—below the level of inflation. We need a budget that provides for the security of each person's basic needs being met, not another $10 billion for missile defense or more nuclear weapons. To see how your state will be affected by the federal budget, go to National Priorities Project State-By-State data at www.nationalpriorities.org.

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