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Tag Archives: Congress
Megan Rising Energy Campaign Manager Climate & Energy Program 
It Gets Worse
Sequestration About To Go From Bad To Worse
Between the government shutdown and the rollout of HealthCare.gov, you probably haven’t heard too much about sequestration lately. Unfortunately, these painful and damaging spending cuts are still here, still hurting people across the country, and are about to get a whole lot worse.
Early next year, another round of cuts kicks in on top of the cuts put in place this year. And many agencies won’t be able to use some of the tactics they did this year to blunt some of the impact of the current round of cuts.
Our Center for American Progress colleague outlines in a new report and this video exactly why and how sequester cuts get worse in 2014 unless Congress fixes them.
Click on the graphic and Check it out:
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Don’t let the “Undectectable Firearms Act” expire on 12/9/2013 …
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What would President Truman say about this Congress?
Hello, all —
A group of extreme Republicans in Congress have opposed the President’s legislative agenda at every turn. That’s no secret.
But the 113th Congress‘ obstruction is reaching new levels.
Right now, our lawmakers are in a position to take action on multiple national measures that would help our economy and millions of Americans. That’s not an exaggeration: They could vote tomorrow. And they should.
Consider this for a second. If our current Congress simply scheduled a vote on pressing national issues, we could:
Fix our broken immigration system. This past June, the Senate passed a bill to ensure everyone plays by the same rules and we grow our economy. Multiple reports confirm that there are enough votes in the House to get it done. And still: No vote.
End workplace discrimination for millions of LGBT Americans once and for all. This isn’t difficult: Nobody should be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act would make it illegal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and it passed the Senate earlier this year. Once again, no vote in the House.
Confirm a leader of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The housing market is coming back, but we can do more to help responsible homeowners. Congressman Mel Watt, the President’s nominee, was endorsed by Senators on both sides of the aisle. And yet, at a critical time for the housing industry, when we’re working to implement the rules that will prevent another “too big to fail,” Senate Republicans used the filibuster to block his nomination.
Confirm three well-qualified judges to fill long-standing vacancies on the federal D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Cornelia Pillard, Robert Wilkins and Patricia Millett were all selected by the President as nominees for this critical court. Once again, one by one, Senate Republicans blocked each nomination.
And that’s just to name a few.
In the 1940s, President Harry Truman notoriously dubbed the 80th Congress the “Do-Nothing Congress.” And yet, even they managed to enact 906 laws, including the Marshall Plan, and the piece of legislation that created the Department of Defense and the National Security Council. It’s time for the current Congress to match up a little more favorably.
Remember: They can still allow these incredibly important measures to come to a vote.
It’s time for this obstruction to come to an end, and for Republicans in Congress to start doing their jobs:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/share/the-113th-could-vote-right-now
David
David Simas Deputy Senior Advisor The White House @Simas44
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Feeding America and the Farm Bill
76% of SNAP recipient households include a child, elderly person, or disabled person.
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76% of SNAP recipient households include a child, elderly person, or disabled person. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, helps over 47 million low-income Americans put food on the table by providing benefits that are timely, targeted, and temporary. Learn how SNAP works and who qualifies for assistance» |
Help Prevent Cuts to Anti-Hunger Programs
On
November 1, 2013, all SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,
formerly know as food stamps) recipients will see a reduction in their
benefit levels because of legislation passed by the United States
Congress in 2010.
Cuts that will equal 1.9 billion meals no longer available to the
children, seniors, and disabled that rely on their SNAP benefits to help
put food on the table. That is more than half of what the entire
Feeding America network will distribute in the entire year!
You should also know that Congress is considering adding even larger
cuts to SNAP benefit levels and eligibility. Decisions that impact
Americans struggling with hunger in your community and across the
country are being made right now. Use your voice to help prevent these
cuts by telling your members of Congress to protect anti-hunger
programs.
Tell Congress to protect anti-hunger programs
Meet Jim, Real Stories of SNAP
For more than 40 years, Jim worked as a mechanic. When the economy crashed, business stopped. For rural clients like Jim the challenges of lower levels of education and concentration of low-wage industries can be hard to overcome. Jim knew he needed to apply for SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) when after waiting for a customer payment all day – it simply never arrived. Without a cracker in the house he applied for food assistance and is glad he did. He would have had no other way to eat.
The Farm Bill
The Farm Bill, which is reauthorized every five years, is the single largest source of federal funding for federal hunger-relief programs. In addition to setting policy for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) that put food on the table for Americans struggling with hunger, it covers a range of agriculture-related areas such as commodities, conservation, rural development, livestock, and energy.
In 2012, Congress was unable to pass a Farm Bill. Help us urge Congress to pass a strong Farm Bill that protects and strengthens programs that help Americans struggling with hunger put food on the table. Take Action Today!
Tax Policy and Deficit Reduction
Feeding America is actively engaged in protecting federal anti-hunger programs as Congress addresses how to reduce the deficit and balance our nation’s budget, as well as advocating for federal tax provisions that protect food and fund donations to the Feeding America food bank network.
Appropriations
Feeding America is engaged in advocating for a strong federal anti-hunger safety net through the Appropriations process and ensuring programs like TEFAP, CSFP, and WIC have adequate funding to meet the need.
Once Appropriations season heats up, we may need your help to ensure these programs are adequately funded, so stay tuned!
Be a Seed for Change 
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