Catholic Charities USA: Washington Weekly 10/13/09
October 12, 2009
Volume 4 Number 32
Inside this issue:
- CCUSA Hosts National Conference Call on Jobs
- Senate Passes Agriculture Appropriations Bill
- Senator Introduces Bill to Fund Housing Trust Fund
- House Committee Holds Hearing on Recession and Safety Net
- Senate Subcommittee Hears Faith Perspective on Immigration
- Negotiations Continue on Health Care Reform
- CCUSA Collects information on ARRA Funding
- Application Period Opens for E Pluribus Unum Prize Supporting Exceptional Immigrant Integration Initiatives
CCUSA Hosts National Conference Call on Jobs
Catholic Charities USA is partnering with over 30 national faith-based groups in the 2009 Fighting Poverty with Faith: Good Jobs, Green Jobs initiative. The coalition is working together to inform Congress and the Administration that the term “working poor” is no longer acceptable, and that as the nation shapes its new clean economy, policies must be in place to ensure that everyone who works full-time has the means to sustain his/her family. On Wednesday, October 14, Rev. Larry Snyder, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, will join other national faith-based leaders on a conference call at 2 pm EST. The call in number is (888) 632-5060 and the code is 9221598.
This hour-long call will provide an opportunity for you to hear from several national faith-based leaders, elected officials, and local providers who are working to reduce poverty in our nation. Speakers will provide an overview of the Fighting Poverty with Faith initiative, describe local outreach efforts, and provide ways you can get involved in advocating for good jobs and green jobs.
More information on the partnership is available at www.fightingpovertywithfaith.com.
For more information, please contact Desmond Brown, Senior Director of Government Affairs, dbrown@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Senate Passes Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Last week, the U.S. Senate passed by a vote of 76 to 22 a $121.2 billion spending bill (H.R. 2997) that provides funding for Agriculture programs. This vote marks the completion of only the second of twelve spending bills needed for fiscal year (FY) 2010.
The measure includes $23.3 billion in discretionary funding and $97.8 billion in mandatory spending, approximately $10 billion more than the FY 2009 spending level. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, was funded at $58.3 billion, $4.3 billion above FY 2009 spending. This additional funding was included to increase elderly participation in the SNAP. The measure would provide $16.9 billion in funding for child nutrition programs, which includes the school lunch and breakfast programs, the adult and child day care programs, and before and aftercare programs. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program received $7.3 billion in funding, $398 million above the FY 2009 enacted level. The increase in funding would allow 9.6 million women, infants, and children to access benefits. The proposal also provides $171 million, $11 million above the FY 2009 spending level, for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program which provides nutritious food packages to low-income women, infants, children, and seniors. The program, which currently operates in 32 states, was expanded to 7 new states: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Delaware, Utah, New Jersey, Georgia, and Maine. The bill includes $49.9 million in funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program commodity and storage grants, $6 million for the food bank infrastructure program, as well as $5 million for the Hunger Free Communities Program.
In addition, the spending bill would also extend for one-year child nutrition programs. This will give Congress until September 30, 2010 to reauthorize programs funded under the Child Nutrition Act. However, Congressional leadership has indicated plans to complete the reauthorization within the next 6 months.
The bill will now go to the President for signing.
Please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Senior Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement, at lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Senator Introduces Bill to Fund Housing Trust Fund
On September 30, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced “The Preserving Homes and Communities Act of 2009″ (S. 1731). The bill aims to reduce homelessness by providing resources to help at-risk homeowners as well as capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund. Using funds recaptured from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, this legislation would:
- Direct $1 billion to capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund;
- Provide grants to states to help homeowners in default. The funds would be used to provide one-time payments to help homeowners become current on their mortgage or up to $1500 for relocation expenses; and
- Provide funds to state to develop mediation program for homeowners facing foreclosure.
Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, has introduced similar legislation, “Main Street TARP Act of 2009″ (H.R. 3766) in the House of Representatives.
More information on these bills is available at www.thomas.gov.
For more information, please contact Desmond Brown, Senior Director of Government Affairs, dbrown@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
House Committee Holds Hearing on Recession and Safety Net
On October 9, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support held a hearing entitled “The Safety Net’s Response to the Recession.” The hearing focused largely on the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on low-income families. During his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Jim McDermott (D-WA) focused his comments on the many hardship facing low-income families. He argued that the ARRA has helped over six million people escape poverty and suggested that Congress should take additional steps to find ways to protect the safety net for these families. Representative John Linder (R-GA), Ranking Member on the Subcommittee, argued during his opening comments that the ARRA has not worked to reduce unemployment at the level the Administration promised. As a result, Congress should focus on tax cuts as an effective way to revive the economy.
The hearing featured a panel of researches and state officials who focused their comments on ways to improve upon the current ARRA funding. They also reviewed strategies states are using to help families get back to work, including using TANF funds from the ARRA to develop a transitional jobs program in Tennessee. Witnesses also provided the Subcommittee with several recommendations to strengthen the safety net including extending benefits under ARRA, more investments in direct public works programs, and removing current barriers to safety net programs to increase participation among eligible populations.
More information on the hearing and witness testimonies are available here.
For more information, please contact Desmond Brown, Senior Director of Government Affairs, dbrown@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Senate Subcommittee Hears Faith Perspective on Immigration
On October 8, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security held a hearing entitled “Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Faith-Based Perspectives.” The panel, comprised of five religious leaders, offered testimony in support of immigration reform.
During the hearing, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Chair of the Subcommittee, reiterated his support for comprehensive immigration reform. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) indicated a willingness to work with Senator Schumer to craft legislation that is practical and compassionate. Senator Sessions mentioned that he is not supportive of a plan to legalize undocumented immigrants and allow the border to remain open to allow future waves of immigrants.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, DC testified on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Committee on Migration on the Catholic Church’s perspective on comprehensive immigration reform. In his statement before the subcommittee, Cardinal McCarrick recommended that Congress work together on comprehensive legislation that would legalize undocumented immigrants and their families in the U.S., provide legal means for migrants to enter our nation to work and support their families, reform the system to allow immigrants to be reunited with their families, and restore due process protections to immigrants. He also called on the U.S. to work with Mexico and other nations to address the root causes of migration, so that migrants and their families may remain in their homelands and live in dignity.
Other witnesses included: The Reverenced Samuel Rodriguez; President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Michael Gerson, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Global Engagement, Center on Faith and International Affairs; Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals; and James Tolle, Senior Pastor, The Church on the Way.
To learn more about the hearing, please go here.
To read Catholic Charities USA’s testimony submitted to the Subcommittee, click here.
For more information, please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Senior Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement, lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Negotiations Continue on Health Care Reform
Last week, negotiations around health care reform continued behind closed doors in Congress. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a cost estimate for the Senate Finance Committee’s health care reform proposal. It is estimated to cost $829 billion over 10 years and is expected to reduce the deficit by $81 billion. The proposal is also expected to expand insurance coverage to 94 percent of American (non-elderly). A vote on this proposal is expected this week in the Finance Committee.
On October 8, three chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committees on health care reform urged the U.S. Congress to improve current health care reform legislation around the issues of the protection of life, health care coverage, and immigration. Click here to read the letter from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to Congress.
Catholic Charities USA will keep you updated on health care reform legislation.
For more information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst at kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
CCUSA Collects Information on ARRA Funding
Catholic Charities USA will be highlighting agencies that have received funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Please share any contracts or grants that your agency has received from the local, state, or federal government through the ARRA.
Please contact Ryan Smith, Policy Analyst at rsmith@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Application Period Opens for E Pluribus Unum Prize Supporting Exceptional Immigrant Integration Initiatives
On October 1, The Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy opened the application period for the 2010 E Pluribus Unum Prizes. The E Pluribus Unum Prizes national awards program provides four $50,000 awards annually to exceptionally successful immigrant integration initiatives. The awards recognize initiatives that have an outstanding record of helping immigrants and their children adapt, thrive, and contribute to the United States. It also considers efforts that have successfully brought immigrants and native-born residents together to build stronger, more cohesive communities. The awards are open to individuals, nonprofit and community organizations, businesses, religious groups, and government entities or officials operating in the United States.
The deadline to apply is December 10, 2009 at 5 pm EST. Application rules, procedures, and profiles of the 2009 winners can be found at http://www.integrationawards.org/.
For more information, please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Senior Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement, lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
