"Congregational Logjam on Essential Human Service"

"Email conversations about changing conditions causing hunger in Ohio and around the world"

This message is not meant to be a guilt-trip about selfish buying; rather, a drive toward and for selfless giving.

With congress and the bulk of federal governance midway into a two week Thanksgiving recess, opportunities abound for collaring them. Some time between Black Friday--this traditional launch day for the holiday shopping season--and when they return on what is bound to be a blue Monday, December 3rd, is an excellent opportunity to let our representatives and senators know what they should prioritize.

They left Washington in a mess. Three humongous bills were wadded up and pitched in the trash while scraps of good intentions and scribbles with new possibilities remain scattered on their desks.

Here are those BIG 3:

FARM BILL

Last Friday the Senate failed to close debate on the Farm Bill. This means that unless leadership is able to come to some resolution the Farm Bill could be stalled for the year and possibly longer. Congress would pass an extension of the 2002 bill in order to continue funding programs, but increases to the nutrition programs that we have worked to secure would be deferred until Congress passed a new bill.

SCHIP

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) remains the subject of negotiation between House and Senate leadership. The goal remains coming to an agreement that will produce a veto-proof margin. Discussions including coverage of parents and capping Medicaid have raised new challenges to the negotiations. The program is currently working under a continuing resolution that runs through December 16.

APPROPRIATIONS

The House was not able to pass the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education bill with a veto-proof margin last week. With President Bush vetoing the bill, Congress is now working on an omnibus appropriations bill that includes half the increases in the original appropriations package. They hope that either the president will sign it or it will pass Congress with a veto-proof margin.

SHORT CUT: For those who insist, "JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

A Few Ideas (in this order): 

1. BRING UP THE SUBJECT IN CHURCH IN THE NEXT TWO SUNDAYS. SHARE YOUR CONVICTIONS AND TRY TO ENLIST OTHERS TO ACT ON THEIRS. 
2. TELL LEGISLATORS WHERE YOU STAND. WHETHER AT THE HOMETOWN MALL OR AT THEIR LOCAL OFFICES, ON THE PHONE OR BY EMAIL, THEY SHOULD BE "RIPE FOR PICKING"…ON. 
3. SUBMIT OP-EDS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 
4. COLLECT A GROUP AND INVITE YOURSELVES INTO A CONFERENCE MEETING WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS--OR THEIR STAFF 
5. IF OPPORTUNITIES ARISE, ATTEND EVENTS WHERE LEGISLATORS WILL BE SPEAKING AND ASK THEM TO VETO PROOF THESE THREE MAJOR BILLS.

LONG SUIT: For those who plead "GIVE ME MORE DETAILS"

FARM BILL

Senate debate on the 2007 Farm Bill (S. 2302) is being held up by disagreements between the parties on what types of amendments will be considered. On November 16th, the Senate fell just five votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate (the so-called cloture vote) and speed up final Senate action on S. 2302. After the vote, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) reported that he will try to negotiate by phone with Democratic and Republican Senators over the two week Thanksgiving recess period (November 17th - December 3rd) in hopes of reaching a bipartisan agreement to move the Bill forward when the Senate resumes on December 4th. Chairman Harkin, however, also has not ruled out another attempt to invoke cloture in order to get action on the bill.

What's At Stake? Based on newly released data from USDA and the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 35.5 million people living in households in the U.S. that face a constant struggle against hunger. The number increased by 300,000 people between 2005 and 2006. The Food Stamp Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) are important weapons in the fight against hunger, but both need to be strengthened. For example, food stamp benefits average only $1 a person a meal; and the food stamp monthly minimum benefit has been stuck at a mere $10 since 1977. Many food pantries report that their shelves are empty or their supplies are at historically low levels.

The 2007 Farm Bill that is pending Senate action contains vital improvements to both food stamps and TEFAP. Raises in benefit levels for many food stamp households, including many elderly who get the minimum benefit, and updating of asset rules will strengthen the Food Stamp Program's response to hunger. Boosts in funding for TEFAP commodities will help stock food pantry shelves to help serve the growing numbers of families who are squeezed by rising costs of food and fuel and stagnant or declining wages.

So this is the moment to let our senators know the importance of passing the Farm Bill with a strong nutrition. Senator Brown voted in favor of closing debate last week. He deserves our thanks, but should also be encouraged to do all that he can to see that the Senate passes the Farm Bill this year. Senator Voinovich did not support closing debate and needs to hear from Ohioans across the state that passing the Farm Bill with a strong nutrition emphasis-as well as reform of subsidies--is a priority this year.

SCHIP

Representatives in leadership will likely continue efforts to override the President's Children's Health Insurance veto. H.R. 976 offers millions of reasons exist for overriding the President's veto:

Reasons 1 through 10 million: The children whose health care is covered if the President's veto is overridden and the SCHIP bill becomes law. That includes nearly 4 million kids who won't be insured unless the new law passes, as well as the more than 6 million children now covered.

Reason 10,000,001: If the President's veto stands, children now enrolled will start to lose health coverage - both because funds are running out, and because of restrictions the Bush administration has imposed on its own that will force 23 states to reduce eligibility, affecting hundreds of thousands of children. The law passed by Congress would undo these restrictions.

Reason 10,000,002: Take a stand against the misinformation campaign. There's been an orchestrated effort to tell people the law would raise eligibility to $83,000 a year. No. In fact, it newly restricts federal dollars to states choosing to make children eligible in families earning more than 3x the poverty line (about $62,000 for a four-person family). The Administration and its shrinking number of devotees contend that families who can get private coverage won't. But the Congressional Budget Office says no - most would be uninsured. The President's own tax credit plan would provide far less help to people who actually lack coverage. Learn the facts: http://www.chn.org/SCHIPApropsinfo.html 

Reason 10,000,003: This is a high profile vote, with paid ads in key districts and lots of press. If your Rep. doesn't hear from constituents, it tells him/her that people might not care that much about how he/she votes. Silence doesn't just prevent children from getting insured now - as bad as that is. It also pushes health coverage lower down on the priority list in the future.

See how your Rep. voted on final passage of the children's health bill: http://chn.org/pdf/2007/SCHIPHousevote.pdf 

APPROPRIATIONS

The House came within two votes of overriding the President's veto of a bill providing funds for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education last week. That was close, but not enough to reject the President's priorities.

The bill would have provided heating and cooling assistance for 1.4 million more low-income households than the President's budget would. The President's funding would either deny Head Start to 34,000 children or cut services by $279 per child. 173,000 unemployed youth and adults would not get training if the President has his way. Community health centers would serve 1.2 million fewer people.

Now what? We really need to hold House members accountable.

All too often, Members of Congress count on the fact that their constituents do not know how they vote. You can change that. Please tell your Representative that you know and care. We have email text you can use to thank those who voted to help their constituents, and hold accountable those who did not: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/125/t/3748/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=21829 

The work of thousands of concerned people around the country is making a difference. The vote was 277 to 141, with 51 Republicans joining 226 Democrats. See the roll call results for yourself: http://www.chn.org/pdf/2007/lhhsoverride.pdf 

We don't know yet what Congress' next steps will be. We do know that sick people who need medical treatment, children who need a good education, workers who need training, and elderly who need heat in their apartments are counting on all of us to keep demanding that Congress and the President represent their interests, just as we are counting on Congress to vote for the only priorities that make sense.

PRIMARY REFERENCES AND LINKS

Coalition on Human Needs. chn@chn.org 

Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). www.frac.org 

The Center for Community Solutions. Ericka Thoms; 
www.CommunitySolutions.com 

"Food and Farm Justice. HungerNetOhio #4.20: Senate Consideration of Farm Bill. 11.10.07; www.HungerNetOhio.org 

"Hog Wild… Failed Farm Bill did little to reform wasteful system of subsidies." 
Columbus Dispatch (Editorial 11.21.07); info@list.dispatch.com 

"Off for Break, Congress May Still Face Stalemate" By Carl Hulse. New York Times; http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/17/washington/17cong.html?th&emc=th 

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