Tell your congressman: vote NO on the budget reconciliation bill

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Your Action Needed

Tell Congress to Say No to the Budget Reconciliation Bill

Background

The U.S. House of Representatives has been attempting a vote on the Budget Reconciliation bill which includes deep cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps and other mandatory programs that support people with disabilities, chronic health conditions and those who have low incomes. However, the vote has been postponed twice because the House leadership cannot muster the votes to pass the bill. The reconciliation bill proposes approximately $50 billion in mandatory spending cuts- including a wide range of programs such as student loans and food stamps. The House bill proposes $15 billion MORE in cuts than the budget resolution mandated. (The budget resolution was passed last year and called for $35 billion in cuts to mandatory spending).

Congress is also finishing up work on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Services (LHHS) appropriations bill which cuts funding for discretionary programs by several billion dollars for Fiscal Year 2006. This, coupled with the House Budget Reconciliation bill, will only cause more harm to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens – those with disabilities and chronic health conditions who will take the brunt of these combined cuts. Meanwhile, negotiations have also begun in the House to consider a $70 billion tax cut bill that was also part of the Budget Reconciliation instructions.

We need you to bring your message to Capitol Hill. The House leadership may try to bring the budget reconciliation bill to a vote on Saturday as Congress would like to recess for the Thanksgiving holiday.

ACTION NEEDED:

How can you help?

Call your House Member(s) at the U.S. Capitol toll-free - 1-800-426-8073 or send an email at http://www.house.gov/writerep/. You can learn the name of your representative at this website.

Tell your congressman:

Vote NO on the budget reconciliation bill.

Cutting Medicaid and other vital programs at a time when low-income Americans and people with disabilities need these services and support systems is both reckless and unnecessary.

It is unconscionable and fiscally irresponsible to make the poor and most vulnerable of our nation suffer the consequences of cuts to programs and services designed to provide a safety net for them.