Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Call to Action
The National Low Income Housing Coalition has issued a call to action of the budget debates that are taking place. Their email states:
CALL TO ACTION
December 12, 2005
A .pdf version of this call to action is available at www.nlihc.org/news/121205cta.pdf.
Send a letter to the editor of your local paper on this topic at http://capwiz.com/nlihc/issues/alert/?alertid=8310571.
Whom to call: Your Representative and both of your Senators
When to call: Monday, Dec. 12, through Friday, Dec. 16
The number to call: (888)-818-6641
The message: Vote NO on across-the-board cuts to housing programs, and
NO on the budget reconciliation bill.
Before Members of Congress go home for the holidays, they will make two
more major attempts to cut programs that help low income people. We know
you've made many calls this year, but please make one more call in 2005
to tell Congress that cutting programs that aid low income families
while cutting taxes for the rich is morally bankrupt!
1. CUTS TO DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS-INCLUDING HOUSING
When the House and Senate finalized the FY2006 spending bill for HUD,
the news was not good for low income people. Now, Congress wants to go
back and further cut funding for each of HUD's programs-by an additional
1% to 2%.
If this across-the-board cut is passed, CDBG would be reduced by an
additional $75 million, Housing Choice Vouchers would see an additional
35,000 vouchers eliminated, and HOME would receive an additional $35
million cut. Congressional leaders want to include the cut in the
Defense Appropriations bill that Congress is scheduled to vote on this
week or next.
The Message:
Members of Congress should vote NO on the across-the-board cuts to
housing programs.
More Information:
* The letter that a coalition of organizations, including NLIHC, sent to Congress is available at www.nlihc.org/news/120705chcdfletter.pdf.
* Charts showing the state-by-state impacts of a 1% or 2% cut on the voucher program and the CDBG program are available at www.nlihc.org/news/120705chcdftable.pdf and www.nlihc.org/news/120705chcdfcdbg.pdf, respectively.
2. CUTS TO MANDATORY PROGRAMS
The House and Senate have each passed bills, called budget
reconciliation bills, that would cut spending on mandatory programs,
including low income housing preservation, food stamps, and Medicaid.
The House and Senate versions of the budget reconciliation bills are
very different - the Senate cut about $35 billion; the House cut $50
billion.
The bill can only be finalized if the House and Senate can resolve their
differences in a conference committee. If they are able to do that, the
bill will then brought back to each body for a final vote.
The Message:
Members of Congress should vote NO on the budget reconciliation bill.
More Information:
* Details on the budget reconciliation bills are at www.chn.org .
* More than 80 events are being held this week as part of National Week of Prayer and Action for Compassionate Priorities. Find an event near you at www.chn.org/pdf/listofevents.pdf
Questions? Call Kim Schaffer at 202-662-1530 x232. Please report the
results of your calls to kim@nlihc.org.
CALL TO ACTION
December 12, 2005
A .pdf version of this call to action is available at www.nlihc.org/news/121205cta.pdf.
Send a letter to the editor of your local paper on this topic at http://capwiz.com/nlihc/issues/alert/?alertid=8310571.
Whom to call: Your Representative and both of your Senators
When to call: Monday, Dec. 12, through Friday, Dec. 16
The number to call: (888)-818-6641
The message: Vote NO on across-the-board cuts to housing programs, and
NO on the budget reconciliation bill.
Before Members of Congress go home for the holidays, they will make two
more major attempts to cut programs that help low income people. We know
you've made many calls this year, but please make one more call in 2005
to tell Congress that cutting programs that aid low income families
while cutting taxes for the rich is morally bankrupt!
1. CUTS TO DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS-INCLUDING HOUSING
When the House and Senate finalized the FY2006 spending bill for HUD,
the news was not good for low income people. Now, Congress wants to go
back and further cut funding for each of HUD's programs-by an additional
1% to 2%.
If this across-the-board cut is passed, CDBG would be reduced by an
additional $75 million, Housing Choice Vouchers would see an additional
35,000 vouchers eliminated, and HOME would receive an additional $35
million cut. Congressional leaders want to include the cut in the
Defense Appropriations bill that Congress is scheduled to vote on this
week or next.
The Message:
Members of Congress should vote NO on the across-the-board cuts to
housing programs.
More Information:
* The letter that a coalition of organizations, including NLIHC, sent to Congress is available at www.nlihc.org/news/120705chcdfletter.pdf.
* Charts showing the state-by-state impacts of a 1% or 2% cut on the voucher program and the CDBG program are available at www.nlihc.org/news/120705chcdftable.pdf and www.nlihc.org/news/120705chcdfcdbg.pdf, respectively.
2. CUTS TO MANDATORY PROGRAMS
The House and Senate have each passed bills, called budget
reconciliation bills, that would cut spending on mandatory programs,
including low income housing preservation, food stamps, and Medicaid.
The House and Senate versions of the budget reconciliation bills are
very different - the Senate cut about $35 billion; the House cut $50
billion.
The bill can only be finalized if the House and Senate can resolve their
differences in a conference committee. If they are able to do that, the
bill will then brought back to each body for a final vote.
The Message:
Members of Congress should vote NO on the budget reconciliation bill.
More Information:
* Details on the budget reconciliation bills are at www.chn.org .
* More than 80 events are being held this week as part of National Week of Prayer and Action for Compassionate Priorities. Find an event near you at www.chn.org/pdf/listofevents.pdf
Questions? Call Kim Schaffer at 202-662-1530 x232. Please report the
results of your calls to kim@nlihc.org.
