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December 2, 2010 | Vol. XV  No. 5
Leadership Needed, Not Lame Ducks! 
 Congressional Action Critical as Session Comes to a Close

As the Great Recession lingers, winter sets in and homelessness continues to increase, a Lame Duck Congress is in session.  Partisan wrangling and the shock of electoral reverses for the leadership is inhibiting action on the current year's budget and other measures that are crucial to the well-being of our neighbors.  Homeless services, low income housing, health care and other income supports are essential in times of recession.  Failure to take action on these items in the few remaining weeks of the 111th Congress puts responsibility for these items in the hands of the 112th Congress, which has promised dramatic cuts.

 

The current Congress still has a job to do and we expect them to do it.  Call TODAY, and let the House and Senate leadership know you demand they pass critical measures before this session of Congress ends!    
Actions Needed:

   

·        Pass the FY11 Appropriations Bills at levels already recommended by the Appropriations Committees:  The federal government is currently funded at FY10 levels through December 18, through a Continuing Resolution.  If this Congress fails to act, domestic programs like housing vouchers and community health centers could be cut by hundreds of millions of dollars when the next Congress takes up the issue.  (More information is available at the National Alliance to End Homelessness.)        

 

·        Fund the National Housing Trust Fund by passing S. 3793:  This legislative vehicle provides $1 billion of initial funding for the Trust Fund.  This measure is critical to increase the currently insufficient stock of low income housing, and the next Congress is unlikely to act on this issue.  (More information is available at the NHTF Campaign.)

 

·        Extend Unemployment Benefits:  Two million Americans lost their unemployment benefits this week when the current funding ended, and the benefits of hundreds of thousands more will expire each month without Congressional action.  Extension of benefits will support both those impacted by the recession and our fragile economy.  (More information is available at the Coaltion for Human Needs.) 

 

·        Maintain Medicare and Social Security Benefits:  The President's Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform released a preliminary report on reducing the national debt that called for significant cuts in Medicare and Social Security.  No action on the recommendations has occurred yet, but Congress still needs to know now that reducing the deficit by passing the financial burden onto seniors and the disabled is absolutely unacceptable.  (More information is available at Hands Off Our Medicare.)


 

CALL TODAY

 

This Congress still has time to demonstrate its leadership and serve the American people, but time is running out.  With three weeks remaining in the lame duck session, now is the time to state your expectations for your elected representatives. 

  • Call Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at (202) 225-0100 or email her through her website.  Urge her to schedule votes on the FY11 Appropriations Bills and extending unemployment benefits. 
  • Call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at (202) 224-3542 or email him through his website.  Urge him to schedule votes on the FY11 Appropriations Bills, S. 3793 with funding for the National Housing Trust Fund, and extending unemployment benefits.
  • Contact your Representative and Senators (contact info found here).  Ask them to speak to Congressional leaders and express their support for passing these measures.
Dan Rabbitt, Health Policy Organizer
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
drabbitt@nhchc.org | 443-703-1337 | www.nhchc.org
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HEALTH CARE AND HOUSING ARE HUMAN RIGHTS