**** CHN Report on Federal Budget for FY 2007 **** EMAIL CONGRESS ****

[Sapphire Blue]

From the Coalition on Human Needs...

CHN Report on Federal Budget for FY 2007

http://www.chn.org/pdf/FY07BudgetAnalysis.pdf

Congress is preparing this week to draft a budget resolution that will determine whether services that vulnerable people depend on are cut so that members can enact more tax breaks that primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans.

The President's proposed budget serves as a starting place for negotiations in Congress. It makes $183 billion in cuts to services such as education, food aid, housing and other domestic programs outside homeland security over 5 years, and also cuts Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, and other programs by another $65 billion over 5 years. This report explains what will happen to people depending on human needs programs if any of these cuts are made.

Now that I have this information, what can I do to stop these cuts?

Organizations can sign the letter to Congress being circulated by CHN to oppose budget cuts in human needs program.
Click here for a PDF version of the CHN Federal Budget Letter: http://www.chn.org/pdf/060224signonletter.pdf.
Click here if your organization would like to sign the letter: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/chn/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=227

Individuals can send an email to Congress opposing these cuts by clicking here:
http://www.chn.org/takeaction/index.html

Everyone can call their members of Congress to say no to these cuts. There will be call-in days next week - Tuesday and Wednesday, March 14 and 15. All the information you need will be coming soon to an electronic device near you!

=======================

Please forward this e-mail!


<Edited to add:> If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for CHN emails at http://www.chn.org/signUp.jsp

[rodeodance]

1. k and n.

[Sapphire Blue]

2. Thanks, rodeodance !

:hi:

[goclark]

3. Cuts for the greedy and ADD for the needy!

Thanks Sapphire for always bringing these issues to us.

[Sapphire Blue]

6. ...

Thanks for fighting the good fight w/me! :hug:

[Wordie]

4. K&R You're right on top of these important issues

concerning the least fortunate among us, as always. Thanks, Sapphire Blue!

:hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

7. ...

Thanks for helping, Wordie! :hi:

[mom cat]

5. Excellent information. Thanks so much for posting it. ... K&R

I particularly appreciate the action links!

[Sapphire Blue]

8. ...

Thanks for taking action, mom cat! :hi:

[mom cat]

10. Thanks for posting this. It is very important information and needs to be

more widely seen.

[Roland99]

9. And there's a fifth!

[Sapphire Blue]

11. ...

Thank you, Roland99! :hi:

[goclark]

42. Thanks Roland99! nt

[nofurylike]

12. thank you for posting this, Sapphire Blue! you are always on it!! and

you make it so easy for us to do.

so much to do.

so vitally important!!


peace and solidarity, always!!

[Sapphire Blue]

21. ...

Thanks, nofurylike, for always fighting the good fight w/me! :loveya: :hug:

[nofurylike]

25. thank you for that Sapphire Blue! i assure you, the honor is all mine.

you do so very much!!! you are a force of Loving Kindness, Justice...

:hi:

:loveya:

:hug:


peace and solidarity, always!!

[nofurylike]

13. kick and recommended

[nofurylike]

14. done. thank you and Coalition on Human Needs for making it so easy! n/t

[nofurylike]

15. kick this vitally important thread to the top! eom

[nofurylike]

16. kick!

[EFerrari]

17. K&R

:hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

22. ...

Thanks, sfexpat2000! :hi:

[nofurylike]

18. kick!

[nofurylike]

19. kick! please everyone do this! eom

[nofurylike]

20. kick! please keep this kicked, and please recommend! eom

[nofurylike]

23. kick!

[nofurylike]

24. kick! please keep this kicked, folks! ty! eom

[nofurylike]

26. please ACT and kick and recommend! eom

[nofurylike]

27. kick!

[nofurylike]

28. please read about this budget and pass the info on, too! outrageous!! nt

[nofurylike]

29. and please write LTTEs about it to your local media! eom

[nofurylike]

30. and please call your reps! see info in OP about "call-in days" next week,

too!

but please also call any time, and again!

thank you!


peace and solidarity!!

[nofurylike]

31. kick!

[nofurylike]

32. kick!

[nofurylike]

33. kick!

[nofurylike]

34. kick!

[nofurylike]

35. kick!

[nofurylike]

36. please keep this kicked, folks! back to kick tomorrow! TY SB!! eom

[EFerrari]

37. kick

[Wind Dancer]

38. Thanks for posting, Sapphire Blue!

These people have no shame.

[Sapphire Blue]

39. Remember the frogs that bush tortured as a child? Now we're the frogs.

Guide to the FY 2007 Federal Budget
What's at Stake for Human Needs

Introduction

(excerpt)

Last year, the President proposed nearly $67 billion over five years in cuts to mandatory programs (also known as “entitlements”) such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, and student loans. Congress finally agreed to $39 billion in cuts to Medicaid, student loans, child support enforcement, foster care assistance, and certain other programs.

But Congress did swallow pretty much whole the President’s proposals for another broad category of spending – the programs that need annual appropriations (known as “discretionary” programs). These include defense, homeland security, education, housing, job training, community development, certain nutrition and children’s services, and much more. Last year, the President proposed $214 billion in reductions to these programs over five years, with defense and homeland security exempted (these areas grew). Congress agreed to $212 billion in such cuts in its FY 2006 budget resolution. (Mandatory, entitlement, discretionary – confusing jargon. Explanation on page 6.)

This year, the Congressional budget committees are poised to accept the President’s totals for discretionary spending again, which add up to $221 billion in cuts between FY 2007 and FY 2011, as analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office. There are reports that Congress will be much more reluctant to go along with the President’s $65 billion in five-year cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other mandatory services, although no one should assume that all these programs will emerge unscathed.

The other side of the budget equation is revenues. The President has proposed another $282 billion in tax cuts over five years. This substantial loss of revenue means that spending reductions that disproportionately hurt low- income and vulnerable people will pay for tax cuts favoring those with high incomes. Congress has in the past given the President what he has asked for in tax cuts and some in the leadership have expressed a willingness to do so again.

http://www.chn.org/pdf/FY07BudgetAnalysis.pdf

[Wind Dancer]

45. It's unbelievable!

They could give a rat's behind about the poor, sick and elderly in this country. It's shameful.

[Sapphire Blue]

46. Did you read post #40 - Our Moral Choice, by Jim Wallis?

[Wind Dancer]

56. Absolutely!

I loved his message, as always. :hug:

It's a shame this administration lacks moral responsibility.

[Sapphire Blue]

40. Please send an email to Congress @

http://www.chn.org/takeaction/index.html

[Sapphire Blue]

41. Our Moral Choice, by Jim Wallis

Excerpt from a Sojourners email...

Our Moral Choice
by Jim Wallis

On Tuesday, March 7, Jim Wallis spoke on Capitol Hill at a "Rally to Protect America's Priorities" on the proposed 2007 budget, sponsored by the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities, ACORN, and the U.S. Student Association. Following are his remarks.

I want to begin with what the Religious Community said all last year: A budget is a moral document! That was our clarion cry in the 2006 budget debate. If some political leaders haven't got the message yet - just wait until this year.

You see, we believe that fiscal choices, economic choices are also moral choices and, for us, even religious choices. Who is important? And who is not? What is important? And what is not? Who do we most value? And who don't we value at all? They are fiscal choices, but also moral and religious matters.

Jesus actually got uncharacteristically judgmental about these kinds of choices. He said, "As you have done to the least of these, you have done to me." Are you paying attention yet, members of Congress?

Because of moral pressure - much of it from the religious community who every day care for the poor that our national politics neglect - last year's budget almost didn't pass. It took a fast trip home from Dick Cheney to pass the budget in the Senate and, in the House, the final budget measure only passed by a few votes. Some elected officials were making new moral choices. But the White House and the Republican leadership seem not to have gotten this message from the religious community, by the look of the new budget they now propose. I thought we were supposed to be their base?

(snip)

We've had a year of organizing around the budget in the religious community. We are watching this debate very carefully. We will hold our elected officials accountable in 2006 and 2008 for their votes on this budget - whether they vote for or against poor families.

If you think we were aroused last year, we were just getting started. Budgets are moral documents and we will fight this budget. And that's our moral choice.


Wallis' remarks can be read in their entirety @ http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.display&issue=060308#4

[nofurylike]

47. "A budget is a moral document!" absolutely!! thank you for this

excellent piece, Sapphire Blue!

:hi:

:hug:


peace and solidarity, always!!

[Sapphire Blue]

51. Jim Wallis: "And we will ask Republicans:

Follow your conscience, not your party. Help your party make better moral choices than favoring the rich over the poor - stop turning the biblical wisdom upside down - and then having the nerve to claim that you are the religion-friendly party! It's time for Republicans to get religion on this budget."

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.display&issue=060308#4

[Sapphire Blue]

55. Our House Dems, under Leader Pelosi, pointed this out last year.

They were outstanding!

[Sapphire Blue]

43. *** Call Your Senators to Protect the Services We Need! ***

A new email from the Coalition on Human Needs...

Call Your Senators to Protect the Services We Need!

Click here for a PDF flier with this information:
http://www.chn.org/pdf/BudgetCallInMarch14&15.pdf

Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15
Don’t let the budget resolution shortchange nutrition, education, health, housing, child care, and other essential services for young and old alike - to pay for tax cuts once again mostly for the rich and special interests.

Please make 2 calls - one to each Senators.
Use this toll-free number to be connected both times: 800-459-1887

(Thanks again to the American Friends Service Committee for providing the number and to several generous organizations who have shared in the cost.)

Here’s what to say when you get through to your Senator's staff:

Please tell Senator __________ to oppose any budget resolution that will force harmful cuts in education, health care, nutrition, housing, and other services for vulnerable children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Please also vote against tax breaks that take funds away from needed services and deepen the deficit.

Why: Congress has started work on next year’s federal budget. The first step in the process is the budget resolution, an outline of federal spending for the next year. The budget resolution sets the total dollars to be available for all the services funded by the federal government, and also sets tax levels (including tax cuts, if they choose). The budget resolution does not make decisions about individual services, but if the total is set too low, it will force cuts later on.

As early as the week of March 13, the full Senate may take up its version of the budget resolution, with the House expected to take it up early in April. It is extremely important that advocates tell their Senators not to set the funding totals so low that harmful cuts are inevitable, and not to include unfair and unaffordable tax cuts. If we allow them to shortchange the budget now, later on, the only way to increase funding for one important service will be to cut another one - the old trick of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

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 the non-partisan budget goals towards which CHN always works and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.

==============================================
Please forward this e-mail!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for CHN emails at http://www.chn.org/signUp.jsp

[Sapphire Blue]

44. !!!!!

[Sapphire Blue]

50. Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15; 1-800-459-1887

[Sapphire Blue]

52. *** Call your Senators ***

[Sapphire Blue]

54. Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15; 1-800-459-1887

[nofurylike]

48. please pass the word on this, everyone! imperative we ACT!! eom

[nofurylike]

49. kick!

[OzarkDem]

53. Also oppose cuts to medical research funding

Dems need to start putting that priority at the top of the list along with other spending priorities.

Do it for Christopher and Dana Reeve.