| 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. - Omnibus Appropriations Bill Moving Forward
House and Senate appropriators are working quickly to wrap up a $285 billion omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2004 before Thanksgiving. The bill will fold five separate spending bills into one large package - including the Labor-HHS-Education, VA-HUD, and Commerce-Justice-State bills. The Senate is expected to take up the omnibus on Monday. It is unclear when the House will act, but Republican leadership has indicated it would like to adjourn for the year as soon as possible. Congress has been passing continuing resolutions to keep the government open until they agree on all thirteen spending bills for fiscal year 2004.
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- Nation's Unemployed Still Waiting For Vote To Extend Federal Benefits
After another week of inaction on the extension of unemployment benefits, Congress is coming dangerously close to adjournment and once again leaving Washington for the holidays without helping the nation's unemployed workers who have exhausted their benefits. Neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives has scheduled a vote on any proposal for extension of the federal benefits program. Unless the program is reauthorized, it will expire on December 31 and thousands of workers will lose unemployment benefits at a crucial time.
(More >) - Medicare Prescription Drug Bill Heading for a Vote
Republican leaders in Congress reached an agreement last weekend on a Medicare prescription drug bill and are preparing to move the bill to the House floor as early as Friday, November 21 (HR 1). The Senate will probably begin debating the bill over the weekend.
It is not yet clear if there is enough support for the measure to pass. President Bush has promised to work for the agreement and the AARP has given its endorsement. However, several conservative Republican House members have expressed reservations about the future costs of the bill and many House and Senate Democrats are opposed. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) said he does not believe the bill will pass the Senate and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) said the bill would "end Medicare as we know it."
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- Senate Quietly Passes Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization
On November 14, the Senate quietly passed its version of a bill to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (HR 1261). The bill passed by voice vote shortly after the marathon judicial nominations debate ended and right before the Senate recessed for the weekend. Unlike the House version, the Senate bill is the result of months of work and negotiations between Republican and Democratic staffers in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee. Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) worked closely with Democrats on the committee to craft a bipartisan proposal that many advocates view as a good and balanced bill. Senate aides have reported they are hoping to have the bill ready for conference with the House by early next year.
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