Tag Archives: Medicaid

Republicans are trying to push forward a plan that would gut America‘s social safety net — and unless we act now, they may get their way.

Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling before August 2nd so that the government doesn’t default on its debts, which would wreak havoc on the economy. But Republicans are refusing to vote to raise the debt ceiling unless they can also pass massive cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, student aid, and other important programs that create opportunity and protect the most vulnerable among us.

Democrats in Congress are holding the line, saying that they won’t accept any cuts to these programs without asking huge corporations, millionaires and billionaires to contribute their fair share.

But as the deadline approaches, Congressional Democrats will be under immense pressure to compromise their principles, even if it means giveaways for the rich while most Americans suffer.

Please join us in calling on the White House and Congress to say NO to any deal that asks people who are already struggling in this economy to sacrifice even more, without asking corporations and the rich to pay their fair share. And please ask your friends and family to join us as well:

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/907?akid=2071.1174326.rdN0yZ&t=3

The moral line is clear: the budget must not be balanced on the backs of poor and working folks while millionaires and billionaires pay lower taxes than ever. Americans oppose cuts to Medicare and Social Security by a 2-to-1 margin, and a large majority thinks that keeping benefit levels the same is a bigger priority than short-term deficit reduction.1 And an amazing 72% of Americans are united behind the idea of asking the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes.2

By speaking out, we can help give the President and Congressional Democrats the political space they need to stand strong against the GOP‘s dangerous demands. It’s especially important that we deliver this message to the House of Representatives, because it’s likely that any budget deal will have to happen with the blessing of Democrats there. If they stand strong, we can avoid the worst of the cuts.

Why do we need to raise the debt ceiling?

Congress sets the maximum amount the federal government can borrow to pay its bills on time. If our debt rises above the limit, the government will begin to default on its commitments. And when that happens, there will be far-reaching consequences for everyone, but especially poor and working folks.

If the government doesn’t pay its bills, it’s a lot like when you or I don’t pay our bills — it ruins our credit, and makes buying goods and services more expensive. Worse, it makes even having debt more expensive, which means that money the government will have to pay higher interest rates — money that won’t go to economic stimulus or preserving the social safety net.

Most reputable economists say that a government default would wreck the nation’s economy, halting the already-weak recovery and possibly taking the world’s economy down with it.3

That fact hardly matters to most Republicans in Washington, who are treating the prospect of default like a high-stakes game of chicken. Many see an opportunity to gut programs that they never could otherwise, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. It’s a disgusting, cynical strategy.

If enough of us speak out, we can help save the social safety net and force corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. Please join us now:

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/907?akid=2071.1174326.rdN0yZ&t=5

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
July 24th, 2011

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU–your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/205?akid=2071.1174326.rdN0yZ&t=7

1. GOP Divided Over Benefit Reductions: Public Wants Changes in Entitlements, Not Changes in Benefit,” Pew Research Center for People and the Press, 7-7-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/908?akid=2071.1174326.rdN0yZ&t=9

2. “Poll: Taxing the rich favored over Medicare cuts,” Politico, 4-20-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/909?akid=2071.1174326.rdN0yZ&t=11

3. “To the limit,” New York Times, 7-1-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/910?akid=2071.1174326.rdN0yZ&t=13

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Take Action Today: It’s All On the Line …Joan Entmacher and Judy Waxman, National Women’s Law Center

07/13/2011 Nativegrl77

National Women's Law Center - Don't Discount Women: Demand Fair Change Not Spare Change


	Budgetary Threats Loom Closer: Call the Senate



	Dial 1-888-907-1485 and demand a fair and responsible deficit-reduction agreement that works for women and their families!

	Call 1-888-907-1485 today!

The way deficit-reduction talks are going on Capitol Hill, it’s all on the line for women and struggling families. Programs that help those who need it the most are under threat: Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, child care, Head Start, Food Stamps, Pell Grants and more are at risk of devastating cutbacks. Republican leaders are demanding deep cuts in vital programs, rejecting any revenue increases, and threatening to let the U.S. default on its obligations — causing another economic crisis — if they don’t get their way.

Don’t let these important programs be held hostage in the deficit-reduction debates! Call your Senators toll-free at 1-888-907-1485 today! Ask them to insist on a budget plan that reduces the deficit responsibly and works for all Americans — not just millionaires and big business.

Dial 1-888-907-1485 to be connected to your own Senators’ offices.Tell them:

Your name and that you are a constituent;
You’re depending on them to prevent harmful cuts or caps to programs for low- and moderate-income people in the negotiations to reduce the deficit;
That they must insist on fair increases in revenues from those with the greatest ability to pay to prevent reckless cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other essential domestic services.

Though reducing the long-term deficit is an important step toward stabilizing and growing our nation’s economy, we must do it responsibly. And, one of the best ways to reduce the long-term deficit is to create jobs now — not to make spending cuts that will eliminate more public sector jobs and weaken the economy.

With negotiations proceeding to craft a deal that may last a decade, we have to act now. So we’re helping mobilize Americans to call the Senate this week to make our position known.

Join our National Budget Call-In Days through the end of the week. We need your voice: Call your Senators toll-free at 1-888-907-1485.

Remember: it’s all on the line. We are determined to Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change™, and we need your help now, more than ever.

Thank you for your continued commitment. We couldn’t do this without you!

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

Judy Waxman
Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights
National Women’s

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… Michael Langenmayr, Democracy for America

07/11/2011 Nativegrl77

John Boehner is forcing the country into bankruptcy as part of his right-wing war on middle class families.

Here are the facts — Republicans don’t have the votes to increase the debt limit without Democrats, but Boehner has rejected every Democratic proposal to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the rich, end subsidies for big oil, or close tax loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas. Instead, Boehner wants to gut Social Security and Medicare.

Cutting Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid is insane. It will be a punch in the gut to middle class families and will send the country deeper into recession.

Thankfully, Nancy Pelosi and progressives in Congress are standing up against John Boehner and his right-wing Tea Party colleagues. We need to let them know that we have their backs.

Call your Congressperson right now at (202) 224-3121 and tell them to take Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid off the table. Click on link for more information >>http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/900?akid=1069.1480546.xAsD8X&t=1

This is crunch time. Congress has less than two weeks to find a compromise and raise the debt limit. We need to make clear everyone understands that we can’t cut the deficit on the backs of middle class families.

Thank you for all that you do.

– Michael

Michael Langenmayr, Deputy Political Director
Democracy for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change™

07/08/2011 Nativegrl77


	The Flip Side of the Coin



	Add your voice to our storybank to support critical domestic programs for women that are at risk.

The temperature is rising in Washington over negotiations on cutting federal spending as part of a deal to reduce the deficit and raise the country’s legal borrowing limit, known as the debt ceiling.

There’s a lot on the line for women and families: Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, maternal and child health programs, Head Start, unemployment insurance, and more are at risk of being cut dramatically. At the same time, some political leaders are threatening to cause the United States to default in order to protect tax breaks for the super-duper rich.

It’s a price we can’t afford to pay. Hedge fund managers and CEOs with corporate jets are one side of the coin. The rest of us are the Flip Side of the Coin, and we want to hear from you. Tell us what domestic programs have meant for you and your family!

Women and their families should not bear the brunt of deficit reduction — women need fair change to survive and thrive. Instead of drastic spending cuts, Congress should protect key domestic programs and services and increase revenues from the wealthiest in our society.

Help us protect these critical investments by putting a face on them: add your voice to our “Flip Side of the Coin” storybank! We will compile the stories we gather and use them in our advocacy efforts, from testimony before Congress to important written materials, to protect vital programs.

With your help, we’re going to Demand Fair Change, Not Spare Change™ for women and families in the budget debate.

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President, Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

Judy Waxman
Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights
National Women’s Law Center

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Stuck in a ditch …AFL – CIO

07/06/2011 Nativegrl77

When your car breaks down in a ditch and you need it to get to work, what do you do?

A. Fix it, even if you have to responsibly take out a loan—and work harder over time to pay off the debt, even if it means taking a second job.

B. Stay in the ditch, throw a tantrum and default on your mortgage.

The economy still is reverberating from the deepest financial crisis since the Great Depression. But rather than work to fix our economy, congressional Republicans are willing to keep it in a ditch.

Two leading Republicans—Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)—recently left budget negotiations and are threatening to force default on our national debt if they don’t get their way.

Tell President Obama and congressional Democrats: Stand up to bullies. Don’t let working families get stuck in a ditch. http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=UZ3aVnXHtxRDesymLrVOYnBq%2BlrJVD9v

When our economy’s broken, we need leaders who will fix it—not politicians who throw temper tantrums when millionaires and billionaires are asked to pay their fair share. Programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are not just lifelines for working people and poor families—they’re all that’s stopping our economy from falling off a cliff again.

With businesses not hiring and wages flat, every dollar in cuts will hurt the economy—and cuts that hurt middle-class and poor Americans will hurt the economy most. Some jaded Republican politicians are willing to let that happen. They figure that if the economy tanks, it’ll cost Barack Obama the 2012 election—and that’s all they care about.

To fix our economy, we can and should be building up the American middle class—not tearing it down. We need to educate our children, build a clean energy future and invest in 21st century American infrastructure that makes us competitive in the world. It’s time to act like the wealthy, compassionate, imaginative country we are—not let hypocritical politicians turn us into an impoverished nation.

Let President Obama and congressional Democrats know working people need them to reject radical demands and stand up to temper tantrums. Demand a fair budget deal that keeps our economy growing. http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=qp3JHjN2szJ7nA9DG22cUHBq%2BlrJVD9v

Some congressional Republicans say they’ll accept a temporary default on our national debt to get the cuts they demand. But it’s a big lie. A temporary default would hurt Wall Street and Big Banks more than it would hurt working folks. And Wall Street controls enough of our politics these days that it will never happen.

The reality is, a deal will have to be reached soon to keep us from defaulting on our national debt—and if President Obama and congressional Democrats stand strong, that deal doesn’t have to hurt working families.

Vice President Biden said, “We’re never going to get this done, we’re never going to solve our debt problem if we ask only those who are struggling in this economy to bear the burden and let the most fortunate among us off the hook.” We agree.

Urge the president—and congressional Democrats—to keep standing with working families against bullies, and to protect America’s future. http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=2I1tjcLTrunVxECYzq9tm11WX7swzlJA

Thank you for standing with us.

In Solidarity,

Richard L. Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

P.S. The ”Robin Hood in Reverse” budget ideas proposed by congressional Republicans are shocking:
Congressional Republicans want to end Medicare as we know it and put Americans at the mercy of private insurance companies. Congressional Republicans voted for a radical budget that would end Medicare and replace it with underfunded vouchers for private insurance. It would cause a typical 65-year-old to spend $6,359 more per year out of pocket for health care in 2022.

Congressional Republicans want hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid. These cuts would hurt millions of children and seniors in nursing homes. Medicaid is health care of last resort. It’s for poor kids and our most vulnerable senior citizens. It saves the lives of countless children each year and keeps senior citizens in quality nursing homes. According to Families USA, “Every federal Medicaid dollar that flows into a state stimulates business activity and generates jobs.” Cutting Medicaid will kill jobs—and there are way too few private-sector jobs to fill in the gap.

Congressional Republicans want to rob the Social Security Trust Fund. Social Security has a $2.6 trillion surplus—and will pay full benefits through 2037 if we just leave it alone. Even after that, it will pay 78 percent of benefits. It’s completely separate from the federal budget. We have time to make responsible fixes to shore up Social Security in the long term, separate from the immediate budget issues.

Tell President Obama and congressional Democrats: Don’t cut Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Make millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share.