| 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. - House Approves $2.1 Trillion Budget Resolution
After contentious debate, the House of Representatives passed a $2.1 trillion budget resolution on March 21, by a 221 to 209 margin. The next day, the Senate Budget Committee approved its budget resolution on a 12 to 10 party-line vote. Budget resolutions are non-binding, but provide a blueprint to help guide annual federal spending.
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- Senator Rockefeller Introduces TANF Bill
Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced legislation (S 2052) on March 21 to reauthorize and improve the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The first comprehensive TANF bill introduced in the Senate, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act Amendments of 2002 would provide additional TANF funding, increase work supports for TANF recipients - including transitional Medicaid for welfare leavers, and improve state accountability.
(More >) - Roukema Introduces Affordable Housing Plan
On March 19, Representative Marge Roukema (R-NJ) put forth her plan to address the nation's affordable housing crisis with the introduction of omnibus legislation, HR 3995 - Housing Affordability for America Act of 2002. Advocates are encouraged that the bill contains major provisions specifically aimed at increasing the availability of adequate housing for very low and extremely low-income people. However, there are concerns that some portions of the measure could have detrimental effects on the ability of low-income people to acquire and keep affordable housing.
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- President Signs Disaster Unemployment Assistance Extension
President Bush signed HR 3986 on March 25, granting a thirteen-week extension of disaster unemployment assistance to those who lost their jobs as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks. This assistance provides benefits to workers who are ineligible for regular unemployment insurance and lost their jobs as a direct result of a presidentially declared disaster. The new law, sponsored by New York Representative Jack Quinn (R), will affect approximately 2,500 workers, including many hotel workers, janitors and window washers. Their original disaster unemployment assistance began to expire last week.
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- Farm Bill Conferees Agree On Nutrition Title Funding
Farm Bill conferees have set the funding level for the nutrition title, which includes the food stamp program and other anti-hunger and nutrition provisions. On March 19, conferees agreed to set the funding at $6.4 billion dollars over ten years, which is almost twice as much as the House originally proposed but less than the $8.9 billion contained in the Senate bill. While the overall funding level has been set, money has not yet been distributed to specific programs. Committee staff is meeting to allocate funds, but final decisions will not be made until after Congress returns from recess on April 9.
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