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News :: Children |
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Act TODAY To Stop Budget Cuts For Housing & Food Programs |
Current rating: 0 |
by Kathleen Barr via ML
(No verified email address) |
18 Mar 2003
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While the nation is distracted by Bush's announcement of aggressive war, the Republican-controlled Congress is quietly moving ahead with massive cuts in social programs as the ongoing Bush recession deepens. Starving children to pay for war is just one more crime for this immensely corrupt administration. |
**ACTION ALERT** National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness
Last week, the House and Senate Budget Committees approved budgets for 2004 that include drastic cuts to domestic human needs programs. If approved as is, the proposed budgets will be devastating for people experiencing hunger and homelessness. The budgets include cuts of over $400 billion from mandatory domestic programs like food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, and child care, as well as changes to low-income housing programs that will reduce funding available for rental assistance.
The full House and Senate will vote on these budgets THIS WEEK. ACT NOW to make sure these funding cuts do not pass--call your Senator and Representatives at the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) before 5pm Wednesday March 19th and urge them to do the following:
1. VOTE NO ON BUDGET PROPOSALS TO BLOCK GRANT LOW-INCOME HOUSING PROGRAMS
Budget Proposal: The Administration's fiscal year 2004 budget proposes to convert the Section 8 Housing Voucher program to a block grant to the states, which would be called "Housing Assistance for Needy Families" (HANF).
Problem: Block-granting the Housing Choice Voucher program will hurt people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. A block grant will likely lead to reduced funding for the program in states and therefore reduce the number of people able to receive rental assistance. Now--as the affordable housing crisis worsens and unemployment skyrockets--is not the time to reduce resources going to rental assistance.
2. VOTE NO ON CUTS TO THE FOOD STAMP AND CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS
Budget Proposal: The House fiscal year 2004 proposes that the Agriculture Committee cut its programs by $19 billion dollars over the next ten years. $12 billion of these cuts will be targeted at the Food Stamp Program.
Problem: Cuts of this magnitude to the Food Stamp Program will be devastating for millions of low income Americans that depend upon Food Stamps in order to put food on the table every day. According to the Food Research and Action Center, participation in the Food Stamp program jumped to 20.5 million people in December 2002, which is 1.8 million people more than December 2001. It is clear that need is increasing as the economy continues to tank and unemployment goes up; however, the House, Senate and Administration Budget proposals ignore increasing need by cutting funding for programs like food stamps.
WHAT'S NEXT? The full House and Senate will vote on their budget THIS WEEK; then, the two bills will go to conference committee, where a committee will decide how to merge the two bills. Once a final piece of legislation is decided upon, the bill will go to the President's desk to be signed.
Keep an eye out for action alerts in the coming weeks as the budget moves through Congress and conference committee. But most importantly, call your Senator and Representatives TODAY--millions of low income Americans are depending upon these programs. We cannot afford these cuts.
FORWARD THIS ALERT WIDELY TO FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
For more information on Housing Vouchers, Food Stamps, or Child Nutrition Programs, and what you can do to get involved, see http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org.
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