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Call Your Senators Today! Tell Them "VOTE NO on the Budget Conference Report!" |
Current rating: 0 |
by The Opportunity for All Campaign
(No verified email address) |
19 May 2004
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The conference report deserves a NO vote for two big reasons:
ยง It opens the door for billions in new tax cuts now and in future years that will deepen the deficit and threaten human needs programs;
ยง Even this one-year plan cuts the "income security" portion of the budget by $3.1 billion, or 6.3 percent (including housing, child care, and nutritional assistance for women, infants and children (WIC). |
May 19 - Today the House of Representatives is voting on final budget conference agreement for fiscal year 2005 and the Senate may vote on the conference report as early as tomorrow. Now is the time to call your Senators and tell them "Vote NO on the budget conference report."
The conference report deserves a NO vote for two big reasons:
ยง It opens the door for billions in new tax cuts now and in future years that will deepen the deficit and threaten human needs programs;
ยง Even this one-year plan cuts the "income security" portion of the budget by $3.1 billion, or 6.3 percent (including housing, child care, and nutritional assistance for women, infants and children (WIC).
The conference agreement is expected to pass in the House. But there is a very good chance of defeating it in the Senate. For weeks, four Senate Republicans have resisted the pressure of their leadership by insisting on a real "pay-as-you-go" rule requiring Congress to pay for any new tax cuts or any new spending. (The four Senators are Olympia Snowe (ME), Susan Collins (ME), John McCain (AZ), and Lincoln Chafee (RI).) It is not yet clear if these Senators will accept the budget resolution but early indications are that they continue to stand by their principles. They and other Senators will be under great pressure to vote for the budget, so your call is essential to make sure that a majority takes the responsible position and votes NO.
The agreement (crafted by House and Senate Republican leaders) is a one-year budget - as opposed to the five-year plans passed by the House and Senate - that makes room for more tax cuts that will not be paid for. In part due to the pressure of advocates for low-income families, the agreement does not include cuts to Medicaid or other entitlement programs as included in the original House budget resolution. The budget resolution includes a watered-down "pay-as-you-go" rule that lasts for only one year and that exempts tax cuts that are expiring this year.
Talking Points
Call your Senators TODAY and tell them VOTE NO on the final fiscal year 2005 budget conference agreement. Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at phone 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators. Tell your Senators:
ยง I am calling to urge you to reject the reckless fiscal year 2005 budget conference agreement.
ยง The budget conference agreement threatens programs and services for low-income families. It would cut funding for annually appropriated programs in the "income security" category in fiscal year 2005 by $3.1 billion or 6.3 percent. This category includes such programs as public housing, Section 8 housing, child care, and nutritional assistance for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
ยง It makes it easier for Congress to continue to push through un-paid for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, thereby increasing the deficit and reducing the ability of the federal government to pay for the health care, nutrition, housing and child care services that families in poverty need.
ยง I urge you to support a real pay-as-you-go rule, which would require Congress to pay for any new tax cuts or new spending. The pay-as-you-go rule in the conference agreement is watered down and meaningless. It has two big problems: 1) it would be in effect for just one year and 2) it exempts tax cuts that are ending this year. This would allow Congress to pass HUGE new unpaid-for tax cuts next year.
ยง The budget conference agreement is fiscally irresponsible. This budget will pass down big deficits to the next generation and limit the federal government's ability to invest in critical human needs like education, Medicaid and Medicare, housing, child care assistance, food stamps, foster care, and many other services. |
See also:
http://www.chn.org/
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This work is in the public domain |
