| 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 sign up here. - Congress Approves a Final Budget Resolution
Last night Congress approved a $2.6 trillion federal budget for next year that lays the groundwork for $10 billion in cuts to Medicaid, as much as $3 billion in cuts to Food Stamps, and billions in other mandatory program cuts.
(More >) - Human Needs Community Fears Fallout from Nuclear Option
Following the Senate's failure to vote on ten of President Bush's judicial nominations considered by critics to have legal views far to the right of the mainstream, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) has recently threatened to use a procedural maneuver, termed the "nuclear option" by Trent Lott, to end the ability of Senators to filibuster.
(More >) - Anti-Immigration Provisions Part of Iraq Spending Bill
The most serious anti-immigrant legislation in nearly ten years is included in the House version of a must-pass bill funding the ongoing war in Iraq. The House voted to include anti-immigration provisions (known as REAL ID) as part of the Iraq war supplemental spending bill, agreed to on March 16 ( HR 1268 ) . Advocates for immigrants charge that REAL ID is sweeping in scope and weakens civil rights protections while unnecessarily punishing immigrants.
(More >) - Senate Subcommittee Looks at Early Education Programs
The Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) told a Senate panel last week that there is enough money in the Head Start program, even though the program reaches less than half of eligible preschoolers and less than three percent of eligible infants and toddlers in Early Head Start.
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