Call Your Representatives
and Senators on THURSDAY and FRIDAY in Support of SSBG Funding
in the CARE Act!
November 20, 2003
THE ISSUE AT HAND Time is running
out for Congress to take action on the CARE Act, which includes
the restoration of Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funding,
this year. Sen. Santorum (R-PA), the CARE Act’s lead
sponsor, is working with Senate Democrats to reach a pre-conference
agreement on the bill. While negotiations are taking place
mostly in the Senate, the House leadership must approve the
agreement that will involve sending an amended bill back and
forth between the two chambers. SSBG funding, which is included
in the Senate version of the bill but not the House version,
is one of the biggest issues that negotiators are facing.
ACTION NEEDED Representatives
It is especially important that the following list of Representatives
hear from their constituents on this issue. The message
is “As
a constituent and social worker, I am requesting that you
let your leadership know that you want SSBG restoration to
be a part of the final compromise on the CARE Act.”
Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Rep. Phil English (R-PA), Rep.
Amo Houghton (R-NY), Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Rep. Dave Camp
(R-MI), and Rep. JD Hayworth (R-AZ)
To find the telephone numbers for your Representative, please
refer to www.house.gov, or call the Capitol Switchboard at
(202) 225-3121, and they will connect you.
Senators
Thank you to everyone who made phone calls and wrote letters
to their Senators last month requesting that they sign on
to the “dear colleague” letter regarding SSBG
funding in the CARE Act. As of today, 38 Senators have signed
on to the letter. There is still time to encourage Sens.
Biden (D-DE), Byrd (D-WV), Conrad (D-ND), Dorgan (D-ND),
Edwards (D-NC), Miller (D-GA), Nelson (D-NE), and Reid (D-NV)
to sign on to it. If you are represented by one of these
Senators, please call and ask that he contact Sen. Lieberman’s
or Sen. Kennedy’s office about signing on to it.
To find the telephone numbers for your Senator, please refer
to www.senate.gov, or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202)
224-3121, and they will connect you.
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 1996 welfare system 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 |
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