Catholic Charities USA: Washington Weekly 2/8/2010
February 8, 2010
Volume 5 Number 5
Inside this issue:
- Senate Continues Negotiations on Jobs Creation Package
- Employment Situation Improves in January
- Invitation from the Administration to Participate on Conference Call
- Congressional Budget Office Releases Cost Estimate for JJDPA
- Join Our Online Forum to Reduce Poverty
- Join Us at a Catholic Charities Centennial Leadership Summit
- Justice for Immigrant New and Improved Website and Postcard Campaign
- Please Support Catholic Relief Services’ Efforts in Haiti
Senate Continues Negotiations on Jobs Creation Package
Last week, Senate leaders continued to negotiate legislation to promote job creation. The package, which is expected to include business tax breaks and extensions of expiring economic stimulus measures, will likely move forward this week. According to Congressional Quarterly, a key element of this legislation will be a tax break for companies that hire new workers
Advocates for low-income families continue to urge Congress to provide a safety net for dislocated workers by extending unemployment benefits and COBRA health care subsidies.
Catholic Charities USA will keep you updated on this legislation.
For more information, please contact Desmond Brown, Sr. Director of Government Relations at dbrown@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Employment Situation Improves in January
On February 5, the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the most recent unemployment numbers. In January, the national unemployment rate dropped to 9.7 percent, down from 10 percent in December. The total number of unemployed persons decreased from 15.3 million in December to 14.8 million in January. A net total of 20,000 jobs were shed in January, compared to 85,000 in December.
More information on the recent unemployment data is available here.
For more information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst, kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Invitation from the Administration to Participate on Conference Call
The following message is forwarded to you from the Secretary of Agriculture:
On behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture, Thomas J. Vilsack, you are invited to be a part of an important upcoming conference call. Please join Secretary Vilsack on Wednesday, February 10 at 2:30pm Eastern Time for a call about the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. Please share this invitation with others who would be interested in participating.
On Monday, Secretary Vilsack will speak at the National Press Club in Washington, DC about the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. The Secretary will call on Congress to act swiftly to pass a strong reauthorization bill to improve the health and nutrition of America’s children and make it easier for eligible children to participate in these programs.
This conference call with the Secretary is an opportunity to discuss the Obama Administration’s priorities for Child Nutrition Reauthorization in greater depth. The call will also include an update on the First Lady’s Childhood Obesity initiative, which was highlighted in the President’s State of the Union address. Finally, this call will be an opportunity for the Secretary to answer your questions and explore how your organizations can best amplify the President and the First Lady’s efforts to provide access to healthy food for all American children.
The Obama Administration is committed to making sure every child in America has the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong, and a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill is an important step towards that goal. That is why the President’s Budget included an additional $10 billion investment to strengthen these important programs in the future. We sincerely hope that you can join us to learn more.
Please register by clicking on this link: http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/17fb9g42d82 for additional updates. You do not have to register to participate.
To participate in the conference call, please dial 1-800-369-1790 and provide the participant pass code 3769722.
Thank you for everything that you are doing to assist our nation’s children and we look forward to having you join Secretary Vilsack on the call Wednesday, Feb 10, 2010 at 2:30pm.
Congressional Budget Office Releases Cost Estimate for JJDPA
On January 26, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its cost estimate for the “Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act (JJDPA) of 2009″ (S. 678). The report projects approximately $4.5 billion in funding over the 2011-2015 period. According to CBO, this legislation would increase direct spending by $14 million over the 2010-2014 period and by $24 million over the 2010-2019 period. The report also states that the bill would provide $4.75 million annually between 2011-2015 for innovative crime and delinquency prevention programs, including a commission on public safety.
Catholic Charities USA supports an increase in funding for JJDPA and will keep you updated on this legislation. To read the full report, click here.
For more information, please contact Ryan Smith, Policy Analyst at rsmith@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Join our Online Forum to Reduce Poverty
Catholic Charities USA created an online forum to generate 21st century solutions to poverty using 21st century technologies. There is only one rule — Think Big. We start this discussion with two questions that are vital to our fight against poverty. Your input will help us shape the discussion and frame the debate.
To access the online forum, please click here.
For more information, please contact Monica Maggiano, Director of the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America at bigideas@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Join Us at a Catholic Charities Centennial Leadership Summit
In its Centennial year of 2010, Catholic Charities USA is convening Centennial Leadership Summits across the country. The summits will provide an opportunity for everyone-civic leaders, elected officials, philanthropists, service providers, and interested citizens- to take part in a conversation that will identify ways to reduce poverty by 50 percent by the year 2020.
Save the date and plan to join us for one of the upcoming summits in your area!
The latest summit occurred in San Jose, CA on Thursday, January 28. Please join us for a one-day interactive forum where together we will work to find solutions to poverty in America. To register, please click here.
If you are interested in staying informed about these events, please fill out the event interest form.
Justice for Immigrant New and Improved Website and Postcard Campaign
Justice for Immigrants (JFI) has launched a redesigned website (www.justiceforimmigrants.org) that includes updated resources and information about the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ campaign for comprehensive immigration reform. The materials and information available on the website include an updated parish kit, recent statements by Bishops on immigration reform, and a new “Events” tab that JFI supporters can utilize to get involved in local and national JFI and immigration reform events.
The website also has information about the JFI postcard campaign and links for supporters to send electronic versions of the postcards to their Senators and Representatives.
Please take a few minutes to visit the new Justice for Immigrants webpage, find out more about the new offerings on the site, and send a JFI e-postcard to Congress.
For more information, please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Senior Director of Advocacy and Civic Engagement, lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Support Catholic Relief Services’ Efforts in Haiti
Rev. Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA, extends heartfelt prayers and concerns to all of the individuals and families so tragically impacted by this disaster. Catholic Charities USA encourages support of Catholic Relief Services, the Church’s agency for international response, as well as other agencies who are immediately responding to this tragedy, and stands ready to assist their efforts.
