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Senate Votes NO on H.R. 1

UPDATE:

Thanks to your help and Legal Momentum's advocacy in coalition with allied organizations, the Senate rejected H.R. 1 on March 9th.

Negotiations over the next continuing resolution are underway. Legal Momentum will post update as they are available.

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On February 19, 2011, the House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 1) that so endangers the basic needs of women and their families that this action has been rightfully dubbed by The New York Times "The War On Women."

With sweeping and devastating across the board cuts, H.R. 1 restricts access for low income women to basic health care, as well as to vital job training, education, housing and food programs.  H.R. 1 also levies severe cuts on many more key programs, including Head Start, Low Income Home Energy Assistance and Community Health Centers (see the full list below).

Last week, a continuing resolution was put in place.  It funds the operations of government until March 18, 2011.  As soon as March 8th, the Senate will take a vote on H.R. 1. This dangerous bill must be defeated.

Contact the White House by phone (202-456-1414 -- ask for the Domestic Policy Council) or email. Contact your Senators and Representative  NOW and tell them to oppose H.R. 1 and to support passage of a "clean continuing resolution" (one that continues funding of the federal government at current levels for the remainder of FY 2011).

We are hopeful that after H.R. 1 is defeated that the White House, Senate and House will engage in a thoughtful assessment of the budget situation in order to arrive at a solution that does not imperil the most vulnerable groups (whether women, families, people with disabilities or aging individuals).

Thank you for supporting Legal Momentum in advancing women's economic and personal security.

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Harmful Cuts Included in H.R.1

Cuts that Endanger Women’s Health:

• Funding to implement the Affordable Care Act (passed last year, which among other provisions, bans discrimination against women in terms of coverage and cost)
• Family Planning (Title X) (cut entirely)
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grants (cut entirely)
• Community Health Centers ($1 billion – 46% of regular appropriation cut) 
• Maternal and Child Health Block Grants ($210 million cut) 
• Substance Abuse Treatment (more than $200 million cut)

Cuts to Vital Food Programs:

• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) ($747 million)
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program ($26 million – 11.4% cut) 
• FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program ($100 million – 50% cut)

Cuts that Threaten Women’s Economic Security and Workforce Preparedness:

Job training programs (1.4. billion cut), including:

• Dislocated Worker National Reserve and Emergency Grants
• Green Jobs Innovation Fund
• Career Pathways Innovation Fund 
• Perkins Tech Prep State Grants
• Senior Community Service Employment Program 

Cuts to Education Programs

• Even Start (cut entirely)
• Striving Readers (cut entirely)
• High School Graduation Initiative (cut entirely)
• LEAP Program (for low-income college students; cut entirely)
• Women’s Educational Equity Program (helps schools comply with Title IX, the law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs; cut entirely)
• Title I (K-12 education for low-income students) ($693.5 million cut)
• IDEA (special education) (nearly $560 million cut)
• Head Start ($1 billion – 15% cut)

Cuts to Vital Housing Programs

• Public Housing Capital Fund ($1.07 billion – 42% cut)
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Contingency Fund ($390 million – 66% cut)
• Housing for the Elderly ($551 million – 67% cut)
• Housing for Persons with Disabilities ($210 million – 70% cut)