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BIG NEW REASONS To Call Your RepresentativeAre we hearing the sounds of caving? Please call your Member of Congress to find out - don't let him or her agree to cuts! Today's news: There are reports today that House leaders are trying to get an agreement to take up a budget that adds $4 billion beyond the President's proposal for Labor-HHS-Education, plus another $2 billion for other domestic programs. This remains a cut - it would take more than $7 billion in increased Labor-HHS-Education funding to maintain the current level of services next year. Rep. Castle (R-DE), who has been outspoken in seeking $7.2 billion in additional funds, has said he will continue to oppose the budget unless the numbers continue to go up. But he is reported to acknowledge that others may be changing to a yes vote.
Even if you've already called, please - pick up the phone! Our calls so far have stalled a bad budget. But if they don't hear from us now, they may cave to pressure and settle for harmful cuts.
Call your Representative toll-free at 800-459-1887, and say"Please oppose a budget deal that forces cuts in health care, education, nutrition, child care, and many other services. Cutting services to pay for tax giveaways to millionaires hurts our nation."
Reminder: More reasons why it’s worth your time to call:
1) Human needs cuts next year! The total for all appropriations is less than the cost of providing today’s services. The Senate budget avoids the need to make cuts next year. Even the new reported deal will still require $4 billion in cuts next year alone below the cost of maintaining current services - threatening education, public health, housing, nutrition, and much more.
2) Abandons health coverage for children and working poor: The House budget leaves out funds needed next year for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and for Medicaid for low-income families who’ve left welfare for work. Both the President and the Senate continued these vital commitments, without which hundreds of thousands of children and parents will lose health coverage.
3) Even deeper cuts over 5 years! By 2011, the House Budget Committee's proposal would cut domestic appropriations more than 12 percent below what's needed to maintain current services. This is dramatically worse than either the President’s budget or the Senate’s.
4) The budget threatens low-income entitlements, too! The budget proposal would direct the House Ways and Means Committee to make $4 billion in cuts over 5 years from the programs they oversee. Those include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, child support enforcement, Supplemental Security Income, child care, the Earned Income Tax Credit, unemployment insurance, and child welfare services.
5) Still more tax cuts! $228 billion over 5 years to keep the President’s tax cuts going.
Think and grow angry: this budget will cut vital services to pay towards unfair and unwise tax cuts.
Our calls are working - don’t let up now! Because of our calls, the House leadership has been forced to offer to reduce the cuts for some human needs programs. More calls mean that Reps. will keep demanding enough funds to
prevent cuts.
Use the toll-free number above to reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard and ask to be connected to your Representative's office. (The person at the switchboard can figure out who your Representative is if you're not sure). When you’re connected, please give the message above.
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 non-partisan budget goals and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.
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