July 20, 2007
TASTE TEST
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Labor-H soup: What's in there? |
On the one hand, it includes $11 billion in necessary new funding for education and antipoverty programs.
On the other hand, it continues wasteful funding of abstinence-only sex education programs, and includes a token $99 million increase for the Ryan White CARE Act — barely more than the AIDS-hostile Republicans put in last year.
CHN says, "Hell, yeah"The Coalition on Human Needs is encouraging antipoverty activists to call House members to urge a "yes" vote that will help surmount an anticipated Bush veto.
The President has threatened to veto funding that exceeds his budget proposals, which sharply reduce job training, home heating and cooling assistance, mental health care, nutrition for the elderly, rural health and other community services, while letting inflation shrink early childhood education and after-school care, and many vital public health and education programs.
SIECUS, other AIDS groups, not so muchBut other groups — including the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, the AIDS Institute and Housing Works — are waiting for the Senate to knock some sense into the bill and to knock out the ridiculous ab-only funding.
It's your call: The toll-free phone number 800-965-4701 will connect you to the House switchboard where you can ask to be connected to your U.S. Representative.
You might want to push a 'yes' vote and praise the new funding for education and antipoverty programs. Or you might want to ask your member to work to get House leaders to agree to changes during negotiations with the Senate, which are expected to continue during the summer and early fall.
We'll keep you posted on the vote and the progress of the bill as it continues its progress towards finalization.