Tag Archives: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

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Farm Bill Countdown

04/11/2013 Nativegrl77

Union of Concerned Scientists

Farm Bill Countdown

The clock is ticking on Congress’ latest attempt to pass a Farm Bill. We have just 173 days until the current extension expires. By taking action, you are joining others who are keeping up the pressure on Congress to pass the Farm Bill.

Take Action Today!

ACTION ALERT

Tell Congress to Support the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act
It sounds like simple advice: “Eat your fruits and veggies.” But it’s not so easy. Our country spends too much money subsidizing crops like corn and soybeans that get turned into processed junk food, instead of expanding access to foods that are healthier for us and the planet.

Now we have the chance to begin to reorient how our federal dollars are spent.

The Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act—a proposal to improve the federal Farm Bill—will encourage greater production of sustainably produced fruits, vegetables, meats, and other healthy foods; make these foods more accessible for all individuals; and stimulate local economies. The bill will also expand access to healthy food for all consumers by improving the ability for families and seniors to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits at farmers markets and other outlets for local, healthy foods. Our analysis shows that these programs can create jobs and encourage healthier eating.

Tell your members of Congress to cosponsor the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act!
Take Action Today!

Sincerely, Jenn Yates National Field Organizer Food & Environment Program Union of Concerned Scientists

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The FY2014 Murray Senate Budget: A Fairer Path Forward for Women and Families

03/22/2013 Nativegrl77

The FY 2014 budget introduced by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-WA) presents a clear alternative to the plan proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI). In stark contrast to the Ryan budget, which makes deep cuts to programs that women and families depend on while giving lavish tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans and corporations, the Murray budget proposes new investments in early childhood programs, largely protects core safety net programs, preserves the Affordable Care Act, and advances tax fairness. However, the Murray budget includes some cuts to funding for health care and other domestic programs that could be problematic for women.

Specifically, Chairman Murray’s budget:

Supports key investments for women, families, and the economy. The Murray budget calls for new investments to expand access to pre-kindergarten, child care, Head Start, Early Head Start and home visiting services for parents with young children – programs that help children prepare to succeed in school and give parents the support they need to work.

The budget also invests in measures to speed up the economic recovery, including a $100 billion fund to support job training and infrastructure projects that would create new jobs and strengthen the economy.

Protects critical supports for vulnerable families and individuals. Chairman Murray’s budget protects most core safety net programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/Food Stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and housing assistance for low-income families. Women especially rely on these programs because they face a greater risk of poverty than men at all stages of their lives.
Fully implements the Affordable Care Act, ensuring that women will have greater access to affordable health insurance and preventive care services.
Improves tax credits for working families. The budget would make permanent improvements to the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit that help lift millions of women and children out of poverty each year. These tax credit improvements were extended for only five years by the “fiscal cliff” deal at the end of 2012, unlike many of the Bush-era tax cuts that were made permanent.
Protects Social Security and promotes a secure retirement. The Murray budget would make no cuts to Social Security benefits, which is particularly important for women who are the majority of adult beneficiaries and rely on Social Security benefits for a greater share of their income than men do. The budget also provides incentives for companies to fully fund their pension plans and proposes other pension system reforms to help more Americans achieve a secure retirement.
Closes corporate tax loopholes and limits tax breaks for the wealthiest. The Murray budget would make the tax code fairer and raise $975 billion in revenue from the individuals and corporations with the greatest ability to contribute. For example, it calls for limiting tax breaks claimed by the top two percent of income earners, taxing private investment fund managers’ compensation at the same rates as regular earnings, and preventing corporations from taking advantage of offshore tax havens.
Replaces arbitrary cuts from “sequestration” with a mix of revenue increases and other spending cuts. Chairman Murray’s budget eliminates the automatic, across-the-board cuts (known as “sequestration” or “the sequester”) entirely – including restoration of FY 2013 funds. These cuts, established by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), took effect March 1, 2013 and are projected to result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and critical services for millions this year alone. Under current law, sequestration will be in effect through FY 2021. The Murray budget replaces the entire sequester with a 50-50 mix of revenue increases and spending cuts.

The total spending cuts in Chairman Murray’s budget are about equal to the revenue increases – $975 billion. This total includes $382 billion cut from the discretionary side of the budget ($240 billion from defense, $142 billion from non-defense), $351 billion from the mandatory side (primarily from $275 billion in cuts to health programs), and $240 billion from interest savings.

This approach is far more fair than the Ryan budget, which not only refuses to ask millionaires and corporations to contribute a penny more toward deficit reduction but would give them huge new tax cuts. Nevertheless, some of the cuts in the Murray budget could be problematic. Specifically, the Murray budget:

Cuts $275 billion from federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. It will be very important to ensure that these cuts are implemented in a way that does not hurt beneficiaries.
Maintains and extends low caps on discretionary spending established by the Budget Control Act. Over the next decade, these caps will bring federal spending on non-defense discretionary programs – like Head Start, child care, K-12 education, domestic violence prevention, and job training – to its lowest level in over 50 years. The Murray budget keeps these caps in place through FY 2021 per the BCA, and caps discretionary spending in fiscal years 2022 and 2023 as well, cutting $142 billion from non-defense discretionary spending. These extremely low limits could compel reductions in services that women and their families depend on.

Document(s):

The FY 2014 Murray Senate Budget: A Fairer Path Forward for Women and Families

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Enough is Enough !

03/19/2013 Nativegrl77


	Take Action: Write your Representative today!



	Urge your Representative to vote NO on Rep. Ryan’s budget.

We’ve had enough.

For the third year in a row, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has proposed a plan that balances the federal budget on the backs of women and families.

The Ryan budget is an unfair and irresponsible plan that would undermine key programs women and families count on — while giving tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations.

Action is needed now! The House of Representatives could vote as early as tomorrow on the Ryan budget. Tell your Representative to vote NO on the Ryan Budget.

Wondering if you should take action? Think about this.

Ryan’s budget would:

Deny millions of women and families access to affordable health insurance by repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Significantly cut funding for programs like child care assistance and Head Start, which help women work and children learn.
Undermine core safety net programs that women count on by slashing Medicaid and SNAP (food stamps) and turning them into block grants.
Slash funding for K-12 education, Pell Grants, job training, and domestic violence prevention.

And, to add insult to injury, Ryan’s budget would, at the same time:

Give trillions of dollars in new tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.

Time is running out! Please urge your Representative to vote NO on the Ryan budget.

Thank you for all you do for women and families.

Sincerely,

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

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

Helen Blank
Director of Child Care and Early Learning
National Women’s Law Center

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Call Congress: Protect food stamps and family farms …Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org

07/09/2012 Nativegrl77

Congress wants to cut food stamps — but keep subsidizing Big Agribusiness?

Demand a Farm Bill that fully funds critical nutrition assistance programs and protects Black family farms.

Since last week, you and over 33,000 ColorOfChange members urged the U.S. Congress to protect healthy food, hungry people, and struggling family farmers. The Congress is likely to vote this week to finalize the text of the 2012 Farm Bill. Amending the bill now is crucial to ensuring that our families — on the farm and off — will continue to be able to put enough food on the table even in the toughest of times.

The current version of the bill would give billions in wasteful subsidies to Big Agribusiness, while cutting critical food programs. Can you make a call urging your Representative to support an amended Farm Bill that fully funds SNAP and safeguards livelihoods for Black family farmers? A personal call is a really powerful way to make a statement, and it only takes a moment:

http://act.colorofchange.org/call/farmbill_calls_house/

The 2501 Program and SNAP provide necessary resources to improve equity for Black farmers as well as ensure access to healthy food and vegetables for our families. Congress should prioritize safeguarding human lives and livelihoods over pandering to huge agribusiness corporations that don’t need the help. Join us in urging Congress to fully fund those portions of the Farm Bill that our community relies on the most. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same:

http://act.colorofchange.org/call/farmbill_calls_house/

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, Gabriel, Dani, Matt, Natasha, Kim, Aimée and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team July 9th, 2012

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://www.colorofchange.org/donate

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Say NO to Ryan’s Devastating Budget …Joan Entmacher and Judy Waxman, National Women’s Law Center

03/28/2012 Nativegrl77

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


	Take Action: Tell Your Representative to Vote NO on Paul Ryan’s Budget



	Don’t slash programs for women & families to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and corporations!

	WWW.NWLC.ORG

You’ve heard of slash and burn, but how about slash and burden?

On Thursday, the House is expected to vote on a budget for Fiscal Year 2013 introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). The Ryan budget would devastate vital services for women and their families while giving trillions in new tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations — on top of extending provisions of the Bush-era tax cuts that benefit only the very wealthy.

Let’s make it clear that we will not stand for a budget that slashes programs for women and families and puts the burden of paying for tax breaks for millionaires and corporations on middle- and low-income Americans.

Tell your Representative to oppose the Ryan Budget. As your Members of Congress start budget negotiations, they need to know that their constituents expect them to protect programs for women and families — and to require the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share of taxes.

What’s wrong with Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget? For starters, it would:

Repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Insurance companies could continue to charge women higher premiums than men, deny coverage to women due to preexisting condition, and refuse to cover maternity care.
Slash and block grant Medicaid. Millions of vulnerable women would lose their health coverage, and elderly women and women with disabilities would lose long-term care services.
Raise the Medicare eligibility age and replace the Medicare guarantee with a voucher. A “premium support” voucher that wouldn’t keep pace with health care costs would dramatically increase health care costs for seniors, especially burdening women who already have to pay higher out-of-pocket costs from lower incomes.
Cut Food Stamps (SNAP) and other core safety net programs that are especially important to women and children who face higher rates of poverty.
Slash funding for other critical programs like child care, Head Start, education, Pell Grants, women’s preventive health care, domestic violence prevention and much, much more.
Put cuts to Social Security on the fast track and reject proposals that would strengthen Social Security by raising revenues form the highest earners.
Give trillions of dollars in new tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations by cutting tax rates for millionaires and corporations on top of permanently extending Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest.