Human Needs Report

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.

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Articles from March 2001

• House Passes Income Tax Rate Reduction Bill
  Despite House passage of a package of income rate tax cuts worth nearly $1 trillion over ten years, overall progress on the FY 2002 budget has been relatively slow since President Bush submitted his budget outline to Congress on February 28. The House Budget Committee is expected to mark up its version of the FY 2002 budget resolution the week of March 19. The Senate Budget Committee, however, is not expected to act on its version because Democrats and Republicans on the committee, where membership is divided evenly between the two parties, have not been able to agree on a budget framework for the year. Instead, the Senate budget resolution is expected to bypass the committee and move straight to the Senate floor on or after April 1, as is provided for under budget rules.
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• Increased Authorization Sought for LIHEAP Program
  Language increasing the annual authorization level for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) was included in bankruptcy legislation (S 420), which was passed by the Senate on March 15 by a vote of 83-15. The House version of the bill (HR 333), which was passed on March 1, does not contain similar language. Differences between the two bills must now be resolved in a House-Senate conference.
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• Tax Cut Train Rolls Forward in the House
  Not waiting for the Senate to complete work on the budget resolution, the GOP-controlled House is continuing to press forward with its tax cut agenda. While the budget resolution paves the way for subsequent tax and appropriations bills, especially in the Senate where legislation protected by the resolution is not subject to filibuster, the resolution does not itself carry the force of law. Subsequent legislation is necessary to actually enact the tax cuts and spending targets contained in the budget plan.
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