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The Human Needs Report is the Coalition on Human Needs'
newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable
populations. It is published every other week while Congress is
in session.
If you would like to receive the Human Needs Report by email,
send an message to Adam Hughes with "subscibe
Human Needs Report" in the subject line.
- APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE: Prospect of Omnibus Appropriations Bill Looms
With several major spending bills for fiscal year 2004 still unfinished, Republican leadership is asking House and Senate appropriators to prepare for an omnibus appropriations package that would be finished by November 18. Congress must approve 13 spending bills each year to keep the government running. Although the new fiscal year started October 1, only three appropriations bills have been signed into law by the President so far (Defense, Homeland Security and Legislative Branch).
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- Senate Committee Passees Head Start Reauthorization Bill With Some Positive Changes
On Wednesday, October 29, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee passed legislation to reauthorize the federal Head Start program by a vote of 21-0. The as yet unnumbered bill was approved quickly following a series of last minute bipartisan compromises, the most significant of which struck Republican language that would have linked funding to rigorous new academic testing standards for the program's three- and four-year-olds. The Senate committee bill does not include a state block grant provision that proved so controversial in the House-passed bill (HR 2210), but there is no guarantee that final conference legislation will not include some state waiver or block grant language. The full Senate will likely consider the Committee's bill some time early next year.
- Congress Temporarily Extends Child Nutrition Programs
On Thursday, November 6, the Senate passed legislation (HR 3232) to extend several child nutrition programs, including the federal school lunch program, through March 31. The extended programs were set to expire today, November 7. The House passed HR 3232 on October 28 as the House Education and the Workforce and the Senate Agriculture committees continued to prepare reauthorizing legislation for the Child Nutrition Act (PL 89-642) and the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (PL 79-396). The Senate and House will likely consider reauthorization early next year.
- Pressure Continues to Increase Section 8 Funding
As the Congressional calendar draws to a close, a bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators are continuing to push for increased funding for the Section 8 Housing Voucher program in the fiscal year 2004 VA-HUD appropriations bill. President Bush drastically under-funded the Section 8 program in his budget this year. The shortfall threatened to cut 184,000 families off from housing aid they depend on. Advocates and Congressional allies have been working diligently all year to boost funding for this very important and successful program.
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- Congressional Democrats Push For Votes To Extend Unemployment Benefits
Over the past two weeks, Democrats in the House and Senate have begun a major push to force both chambers to vote on the federal extension of unemployment benefits. Thus far, the Republican leaders of the House and the Senate have failed to schedule a vote on any of the bill to reauthorize or expand the program.
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