NETWORK's Legislative Update

110th Congress, 2nd Session

April 29, 2008

1. Protect the Medicaid Safety Net
The House passed the bill, now we need the Senate

2. Help the Unemployed Stimulate the Economy
Urge your members of Congress to support the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act

3. Protect Renters from Eviction
Ask your Representative to support the Emergency Housing Assistance Act

1.Protect the Medicaid Safety Net

Last week, the House overwhelmingly passed H.R. 5613, which would delay seven Medicaid regulations issued by the administration to restrict payments for certain services. These regulations would disproportionately affect low-income children and low-income people with disabilities.

Please contact your senators now to urge them to support this bill, the “Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act”. We need enough Senate votes for a veto-proof majority to prevent President Bush from issuing his threatened veto.

To use NETWORK’s sample message for an e-mail to your senators, you can go to: http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=11316791&type=CO

2.Help the Unemployed Stimulate the Economy

The House Ways and Means Committee passed H.R.5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008, which will now go to the floor of the House, then to the Senate. This bill will both stimulate the economy and recognize the dignity of the human person.

Families with no income are unable to make purchases.  Food and fuel costs are increasing at alarming rates.  The ranks of the unemployed are escalating.  Previous recessions have evidenced that a temporary increase and expansion of unemployment benefits is a strong stimulus of the economy.  Those who have the fewest economic resources are the most likely to spend any new money on necessities. 

Our Catholic social tradition reminds us that the dignity of work flows from the dignity of the human person and the rights of the person to participate in using his or her gifts and skills to provide for one’s livelihood and that of one’s family.  

Urge your representative to vote for H.R. 5749. Urge your senators to bring a similar bill to the Senate as soon as possible. To e-mail your members of Congress using NETWORK’s sample message, you can go to http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=11316956&type=CO

3. Protect Renters from Eviction

Urge your Representative to co-sponsor and move H.R. 5894 Emergency Housing Assistance Act of 2008.  The bill is very focused: to provide funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for housing-related assistance needed to prevent homelessness in connection with foreclosures. 

As of late April, 38% of all foreclosures were on rental property.  Renters evicted from foreclosed properties generally do not have the finances to find other affordable housing, cover deposits and pay moving and utility set up expenses.  This fund would assist families in meeting these needs, and is restricted to those who do not have the resources to avoid becoming homeless. 

Contact your representative today, ask him/her to sign-on. To e-mail your representative using NETWORK’s sample message, you can go to http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=11316846&type=CO

Action Using the Legislative Action Center since the last Legislative Update

1622 messages on helping Iraqis rebuild
  393 messages on economic stimulus
  365 messages on Colombia FTA
  268 messages on Medicaid

2792 total messages sent to Congress through the Legislative Action Center

Reflection

"We are not a market—first and foremost, we are a people.”
-- Declaration of the South American Chemical and Paper Workers, in We Are Everywhere, 2003

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Helpful Information
To contact Congressional offices by phone, call the Capitol Hill Switchboard number at 202-224-3121. The White House Comment line is 202-456-1414 and the Vice President's office is 202-456-2326. More contact and e-mail information for the President and Vice President is available through our Legislative Action Center.

NETWORK Members
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