Catholic Charities USA: Washington Weekly 1/25/10
January 25, 2010
Volume 5 Number 2
Inside this issue:
- Catholic Charities Hosts Leadership Summit in San Antonio, Texas
- CCUSA President Attends Meeting at White House on Job Creation
- Congress Passes Haiti Relief Tax Bill
- Health Care Debate Stalls in Congress
- DOJ Releases Solicitation for Second Chance Mentoring Grants
- Senate Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Jobs
Catholic Charities Hosts Leadership Summit in San Antonio, Texas
On January 21, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio hosted a Centennial Leadership Summit to identify 21st century solutions to poverty. The Summit included presentations and panel discussions from religious leaders, community leaders, as well as public officials. As part of the Summit, participants were asked to be part of Catholic Charities USA’s 21st Century Solutions to Poverty Forum where participants from across the country will be developing a new model to eradicate poverty in the United States.
In celebration of Catholic Charities USA’s centennial year, the Centennial Leadership Summits will continue throughout 2010 with the next one taking place in San Jose on Thursday, January 28. To look for the Centennial Leadership Summit nearest you, please click here.
If you are interested in staying informed about these events, please fill out the event interest form.
For more information, please contact Monica Maggiano, Director of the Campaign to Reduce Poverty at mmaggiano@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
CCUSA President Attends Meeting at White House on Job Creation
On January 25, Rev. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA, will take part in a conversation at the White House on job creation. The meeting will include senior Administration officials from the National Economic Council and the Office of Public Engagement as well as other community leaders.
Look for more details in the next issue of Washington Weekly.
Congress Passes Haiti Relief Tax Bill
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed a measure (H.R. 4462) that will allow taxpayers to deduct charitable cash contributions made by March 1, 2010 to Haiti earthquake relief efforts on their 2009 tax returns. The deductions can include donations made by text messages on cell phones. President Obama is expected to sign the bill.
In addition, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) introduced legislation (S. 2937) that would suspend limitations on charitable cash contributions for Haitian relief efforts for the 2010 tax year.
Please look for updates in future issues of Washington Weekly.
For more information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst at kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Health Care Debate Stalls in Congress
Last week, health care negotiations stalled in the U.S. Congress after a special election in Massachusetts. On January 19, Scott Brown (R) defeated Martha Coakley (D) for the Massachusetts Senate seat formerly held by Edward M. Kennedy for more than 45 years. As a result of the election, the Democrats lost their super-majority in the Senate with Republicans now holding 41 of the 100 seats. Because the Senate requires 60 votes to clear the procedural hurdle known as the filibuster, Democrats face significant challenges passing a final health care package.
One option being discussed would be for the House to pass the Senate health care bill with no changes. However, on January 21, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that she did not have the votes to clear the Senate-passed bill. Another option is to include elements of health care reform in an expedited budget process known as reconciliation which requires a simple majority to pass in the Senate.
CCUSA will keep you updated on this issue.
For more information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst at kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
DOJ Releases Solicitation for Second Chance Mentoring Grants
On January 19, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Bureau of Justice Assistance announced the solicitation for Second Chance Act mentoring grants to non-profit organizations. Funding is available for non-profit organizations to implement mentoring programs that will assist with reintegrating adults into communities after their return from correctional facilities. While the current solicitation focuses on adult programs, the OJP is expected to release a solicitation for mentoring grants targeting juveniles exiting the prison system in the spring.
The Second Chance Act, enacted in April 2008, lays the framework for addressing the barriers facing ex-offenders in accessing housing, employment, substance abuse and mental health treatment, and healthcare.
For more information on the solicitation, please click here.
For more information, please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Senior Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement, lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Senate Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Jobs
On January 21, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing on strategies to save and create jobs. Witnesses included Governor Chet Culver (D-IA); Lawrence Mishel, President of the Economic Policy Institute; Dr. Jerry Weast, Superintendent of Montgomery County, MD Public Schools; and Marlena Sessions, CEO of Workforce Development Council of Seattle, Washington. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Subcommittee Chair, convened the hearing.
Governor Culver was the sole witness on the first panel. He outlined some of the positive benefits that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has had on Iowa. He stated that new federal investments provided through ARRA for green jobs and Medicaid have saved thousands of jobs. At the same time, he cautioned that unemployment in his state has continued to increase and over 100,000 displaced workers are now collecting unemployment benefits. The Governor outlined a set of policy recommendations that he would like Congress to include in the next jobs creation package. These proposals include: an extension of federal unemployment benefits through 2010, additional financial support to states for Medicaid, funding for infrastructure, and investments in green industries.
On the second panel, Dr. Mishel outlined a set of proposals developed by the Economic Policy Institute including: strengthening the safety net for displaced workers, fiscal relief to states and local governments, investments in transportation infrastructure, funding for public service jobs, and a new job creation tax credit for employers. He argued that these policies are critical to enhance the recent improvements in the job market. He suggested that the nation will see positive job growth in 2010. However, without further Congressional action, the unemployment numbers will continue to increase as more displaced workers start looking for new jobs. Both Dr. Weast and Ms. Sessions thanked members of the Subcommittee for the financial support provided under the ARRA. They both argued that the current employment crisis would be much more devastating without those funds. Going forward, they urged the Subcommittee to provide additional infrastructure funding to rebuild the nation’s aging public schools and transportation system.
More information on the hearing is available here.
For more information, please contact Desmond Brown, Senior Director of Government Affairs, dbrown@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
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Washington Weekly is a publication of the Social Policy Department of Catholic Charities USA
and is published regularly when Congress is in session.
Catholic Charities USA
Sixty-Six Canal Center Plaza, Suite 600, Alexandria, VA 22314
socialpolicy@catholiccharitiesusa.org
For information about advocacy, please contact
Lucreda Cobbs at (703) 236-6243 or lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
