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Legislative Network Alerts Alert Number 144 November 10, 2005 Action Suggested House Bill Makes Cuts on the Backs of Persons With Disabilities To: Members of the Legislative Network From: Patricia Leahy, Director of Governmental Affairs This Washington Wire is an ALERT -- A CALL TO ACTION -- and deals only with the impending vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on the House Budget Reconciliation bill. This ALERT is pursuant to previous NRA legislative updates on this important issue. This is the first time in 8 years that we have had a Budget Reconciliation bill and the proposed funding cuts to programs that serve individuals with disabilities, the working poor, children and other under-represented populations are alarming. The full U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote at this time on its Reconciliation bill TOMORROW, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10. We are asking you to call or fax your respective HOUSE Representatives NOW to ask them to VOTE NO on the HOUSE Reconciliation bill. Let's begin with the proposed cuts to Medicaid. The House Reconciliation bill would cut Medicaid funding 9.4 BILLION over the next 5 years AND 45.3 BILLION over ten years. That's a huge funding cut to a program that is a lifeline to many individuals with disabilities, the elderly, children and the poor. The Medicaid provisions in the HOUSE Reconciliation bill would adversely affect beneficiaries by increasing beneficiaries cost-sharing and reducting the health care services that Medicaid covers. According to the well-respected, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Medicaid cuts in the House Reconciliation bill which reduce beneficiaries' access to health care WOULD NOT BE USED TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT. These funding cuts are part of a two-step Reconciliation process, with the legislation that would cut entitlement programs by 53.5 BILLION to be followed by a second Reconciliation bill that would cut taxes by more than 70 BILLION OVER THE SAME FIVE YEAR PERIOD. In other words, the spending cuts on the backs of the poor and disabled achieved through the House Reconciliation bill would merely offset a portion of the costs of the reconciled tax cuts. As we have said in previous Washington Wires, there are enormous (billions of dollars) cuts to other critical programs as well, including: House Reconciliation bill cuts to the food stamps program would eliminate 225,000 people in WORKING families with children, some 330,000 children in WORKING famlies would lose child care assistance because of inadequate funding in the House Reconciliation bill, as well as the Temporary Assistance to Need Families (TANF) and billions in funding cuts to the Student Loan Program, which cuts to the core of middle class families in America. It is noteworthy that 44 REPUBLICAN Members of the House of Representatives wrote a letter earlier this year calling on their leaders to eliminate the Medicaid cuts and instead create a bipartisan commission to study the future of Medicaid. That letter stated in part: 'Medicaid is the largest health care program in the country, serving over 50 million people including more than one in four children. As lawmakers, we know that any changes made to this program will have consequences for these individuals. We also know that programs should get value for the money we spend, improve the health of people who depend upon them, and be accountable for results. We therefore believe that policy should drive the budget and not the budget drive policy.' Don't hesitate, please call your respective Members of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives and ask them to vote NO on the HOUSE Reconciliation bill. Thank you. |
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