Support the Restoration of SSBG Funds Today!

October 28, 2003

THE ISSUE AT HAND

The Senate has come to a standstill regarding the CARE Act (S.476/H.R.7), the bill related to President Bush’s faith-based initiative. Both the House and Senate have passed their own versions of the bill, and Sen. Santorum (R-PA) has requested that the Senate now vote by unanimous consent to send the bill to conference (this is where the Senate and House will work out the differences between the two bills and come up a compromise version). However, Senate Democrats are attempting to delay sending the bill to conference because they feel that they will not have enough of a voice in the process, based upon other conferences currently taking place. Instead, they appear to be preparing to advocate for a “ping-pong” approach that involves sending an amended bill back and forth between the two chambers until they agree on it.

One of the major differences in the two bills is that the Senate version includes $1.375 billion in new funds for the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), while the House version does not. President Bush is against including SSBG funding in this bill, therefore there is a very good chance that it will be removed if/when the bill goes to conference. There is a slight chance that the members who support this inclusion of funds will have better luck keeping it in the bill if the “ping-pong” approach is used, since they will potentially have more of a voice in this type of negotiation.

Regardless of how the final compromise is worked out, whether by conference or through floor amendments, it is important that Senators continue to hear from their constituents about the importance of the SSBG funds. These funds assist at-risk adolescents and young adults, children and families in the child welfare system, low income working families in need of childcare, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and individuals addressing substance abuse addictions.

ACTION NEEDED

Call or e-mail your senators, both Democrat and Republican, and tell them that, as a constituent and member of NASW, you are requesting that they include SSBG restoration funds in the CARE Act, regardless of how the compromise bill is achieved.

If your senator is listed below, please also ask that he or she sign-on to the SSBG “dear colleague” letter being circulated by Sens. Graham (D-FL), Lieberman (D-CT), and Kennedy (D-MA). Offices interested in signing on to the letter may contact Sen. Lieberman’s office.

 

Senators who have not yet signed on to the Democratic Caucus SSBG letter:

Sen. Akaka (HI), Sen. Bayh (IN), Sen. Byrd (WV), Sen. Conrad (ND), Sen. Dodd (CT), Sen. Dorgan (ND), Sen. Edwards (NC), Sen. Hollings (SC), Sen. Inouye (HI), Sen. Leahy (VT), Sen. Miller (GA), Sen. Nelson (NE), Sen. Pryor (AK), Sen. Reid (NV), Sen. Stabenow (MI), and Sen. Jeffords (I-VT)

To find the telephone numbers for your senators, please refer to www.senate.gov or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and they will connect you. To send a letter via NASW’s Congress Web, please refer to: https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/grassroots/congressweb.asp

If you make a phone call, please let NASW know at abradford@naswdc.org

BACKGROUND

The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is a flexible block grant addressing the needs of children and families, the elderly, and vulnerable adults. It enables them to avoid more expensive government assistance by helping them in their efforts to remain in the community in the most independent setting possible. As part of the welfare system’s last reform, Congress and the State Governors agreed to reduce SSBG funding to $2.38 billion for five years, and to return it to its former level of $2.8 billion in 2003. Unfortunately, the funding level was reduced in 1998 and is currently $1.7 billion per year. The cut in SSBG funding has driven social-services providers to discontinue services to children, families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It has also forced them to lay off staff and reduce benefits for vulnerable families.

For more detailed background information on the Senate-passed CARE Act, please refer to NASW’s update: https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/issues/faith.asp

You may also contact Ann Bradford, senior government relations associate, at 202-336-8237 or abradford@naswdc.org