Home > Take Action > Action Alert - 1/26/06

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On February 1, the House will vote again on the FY2006 Budget Reconciliation conference report (S. 1932). A slightly different version passed by a vote of 212-206 after an all-night session on December 19 th.  Much has changed since then – we actually know what is in the over 750-page conference report – and we must make sure that this time the bill is defeated! This bill makes deep cuts in Medicaid, student loans, child support enforcement, child care, foster care, and disability assistance to help finance tax cuts for the wealthy. It is the “reconciliation” bill that started in the budget process almost a year ago. This bill passed the Senate just before Christmas when Vice President Cheney broke a tie. We have one last chance to stop it in the House – NEXT WEEK.

While the food stamp cuts are no longer in it, the bill will badly hurt many low-income people – and increase hunger – in numerous ways.

Note that this is the end of last year’s budget process (FY2006) coming just as the Administration will be starting this year’s (FY2007) budget process. Do not confuse what you will read about what may be in the forthcoming budget proposals from the President or in his State of the Union address with what we know is in this terrible bill and which is up for one last vote – which we can defeat.

Rep. Simmons (R-CT) Announces Vote Change

On a very positive note, Rep. Rob Simmons, (R-2-CT), yesterday announced that he will change his prior vote supporting the budget bill and on Feb. 1, he will VOTE NO.  Rep. Simmons stated:  “I opposed the original House budget in November because I knew it could be, and should be, improved. The budget that was drafted in the House-Senate Conference was a better budget and I voted for it in December. Since then I have met with and listened to a wide range of constituents regarding the details of the proposed changes. The consensus is that the bill, despite the improvements, remains unsatisfactory, consequently, I have decided to vote against the budget on February 1. I have listened and concluded that the budget, as it stands, falls short."  

TAKE ACTION!  Join an Event Near You!

Many organizations have joined together in the Emergency Campaign for America’s Priorities (ECAP) and will participate in over 185 events across the country leading up to the February 1 budget vote. State and local organizations are holding press conferences, congressional district office visits, town halls, vigils and other activities to express opposition to cutting human needs programs to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy. To find an event near you, click here.  Contact Cassandra McKee at US Action, cmckee@usaction.org, 202-448-6169, for more information about field events in your state. 

Get the Facts: 

• The Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) has prepared state-specific reports on how the cuts in the bill to health care, child care, child support enforcement, assistance for abused and neglected children, student aid and many other areas will affect each state. 
• CHN also has a prepared a response to the argument that the bill does not “cut” programs but merely slows the growth of entitlement programs. See: When is a cut a cut?
• ECAP also has issued two fact sheets on the budget reconciliation conference report: one highlights the top ten most harmful cuts in the bill and the second identifies new provisions in the conference report that were not in the original House bill – and are even more egregious.

For more information, contact Ellen Teller, eteller@frac.org, 202-986-2200, x3013.

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