Home > Take Action > Action Alert - 2/01/06

On February 1, the House passed, 216 to 214 the FY2006 Budget Reconciliation conference report (S. 1932). All Democrats, 1 Independent, and 13 Republicans voted to oppose this legislation. For a roll-call vote, go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll004.xml

Except for a Presidential signature, this was the final action needed to pass the FY2006 entitlement program changes - - a process that was almost a year in the making. The 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, and includes a TANF reauthorization that weakens rather than strengthens the program.

Despite disappointment over final passage of the bill, anti-hunger groups and allied organizations derived some satisfaction that Congressional leaders rallied around the Food Stamp Program and eliminated all cuts that were originally contained in an earlier House version.

Advocates are bracing for another round of budget fights in the coming fiscal year (FY2007) with the release of the President’s budged next Monday, February 6. th FRAC will be posting an analysis of the food and nutrition programs along with periodic updates on its website, www.frac.org.

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