CONTACT YOUR U.S. HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE AND TELL THEM TO VOTE YES ON THE LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND EDUCATION FUNDING BILL

Within the next several days, the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill (which includes funding for Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, and education programs) is expected to come to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote.

ACTION NEEDED:
Call 800-965-4701 and ask to speak with your representative.  Tell them to vote YES on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.

WHY YOUR CALL IS IMPORTANT:
President Bush has threatened to veto any funding that exceeds his budget request for the 2008 fiscal year. A strong vote in favor of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriation bill in the House, which currently is $10.6 billion above the President’s request, might discourage such a veto. We need every member of Congress to know the importance of these programs and the large number of people who care about their funding.

Highlights of the House bill include:

• A $75 million increase in the Child Care and Development Block Grant
• A $75 million increase in Head Start
• An increase in the maximum Pell Grant award to $4700
• An increase in IDEA Part B grants by $509.5 million
• A $16 million increase for Even Start
• A $2 million increase for CAMPIS
• A $125 million increase in for 21st Century Community Learning Centers
  
  The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed their version of the Labor-HHS-Education bill, but it is not expected to come to the floor for a vote until August.

NAEYC Children’s Champions Update
February 2, 2006

Budget Reconciliation Bill Narrowly Passes House of Representatives

Yesterday, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 216 to 214 and goes to the President for signing. Your calls did make a difference in getting such a close vote. Some Representatives, at your insistence, switched from a “yes” vote in December to a “no” vote yesterday when they came to fully understand the impact of the cuts to child care, health care, child support, and student college aid. To see how your Representative voted, go to http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll004.xml

On the heels of these cuts to low income, working families and their children, the Congress has turned to a bill for additional tax cut bill that grows the deficit by another $70 billion. During floor debate on the tax cuts yesterday, Senator Voinovich (R-OH) said "I do not know how anyone can say with a straight face that when we voted to cut spending in December [the Senate’s vote on budget reconciliation] to help achieve deficit reductions, we can now turn around a short while later to provide tax cuts that exceed or cancel out the reduction in spending...We cannot afford these tax cuts." The Senate is expected to vote on the tax bill later today, and then the House and Senate will negotiate their versions into a final bill.

On February 6, the Administration will release its budget request for fiscal year 2007. NAEYC will send you an analysis of the request. Congress will then develop and take up a Budget Resolution.

Thank you for all your calls and efforts on behalf of young children and families.