Federal Legislative Update
January 2006

1/25/06

News from Capitol Hill...

College Students, Poor Kids Under Fire ─

ACT NOW for Right Budget Priorities

Next week, the House will vote on a budget that imposes the single largest cutback in the history of the student loan program, placing a college education further out of the reach of middle-class and lower-income students.  The budget reconciliation bill (S. 1932) takes aim at vital services for vulnerable families, including Medicaid, child support enforcement, child care, foster care, and disability assistance, to pay for tax cuts for the privileged.

The vote is expected to be extremely close.  Your voice could make all the difference.

The reconciliation bill cuts $50 billion from services for the most vulnerable.  The largest portion, $12.7 billion, comes from student aid.  The average student would have to take on an additional $5,800 in debt.   Changes to Medicaid would require low-income beneficiaries to pay more out-of-pocket costs and reduce the availability of health care services for many of the sickest Americans.

ACT NOW!

• Call your Representative toll free at 1-800-426-8073 to be connected to the Capitol switchboard.  Tell him or her to vote ‘No’ on the budget reconciliation bill.  To find your Representative’s name, go here.
• Tell your Representative to stand up for working families and the vulnerable, and against misguided priorities.

Urge Senate to Protect Rights by Opposing Alito

With yesterday’s 10-8 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court, it is vital that you contact your Senators to urge them to oppose Alito's nomination.  Judge Alito’s record on public education, civil rights, anti-discrimination laws, and worker protections are troubling and pose a serious threat to the rights of schools to determine what is best for students.

While arguing against so-called “activist” judges, Judge Alito has actually been a judicial activist when it comes to education, siding overwhelmingly with challengers to public schools and educators and voting to overturn policies developed by schools to meet the needs of their particular students.  He has consistently voted to overrule schools on their efforts to maintain the separation of church and state and has voted against due process rights and free speech for educators.

The Senate is expected to vote next week.

ACT NOW!

Contact your Senators today and urge them to oppose Judge Alito’s nomination.  Judge Alito’s presence on the Supreme Court would turn back the clock on civil rights and anti-discrimination laws.