| 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. - Opposition to Bush "Stimulus" Plan Grows
Despite President Bush's best efforts to sell his stimulus package to the American people during his State of the Union address, doubts about the $674 billion proposal continue to mount. Conservative House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) recently joined moderate Republicans in questioning the centerpiece of Bush's plan, an elimination of taxes on corporate dividends. Current polls show a majority of Americans opposing the dividend tax break as well.
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- Bush Delivers State of the Union Address
On Tuesday, January 28, President Bush spoke to the nation in the annual State of the Union address. While roughly half of the speech was dedicated to preparing the country for a war with Iraq, the president also addressed domestic policy issues by standing behind his $674 billion "economic growth plan," presenting scant details about a Medicare overhaul plan that would shift the federal entitlement program toward privatization, and encouraging increased funding for religious organizations to run social programs.
(More >) - Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passes in New Republican Senate
On Thursday, January 23, after six days of debate, the new Republican-led Senate passed a $391 billion FY 03 omnibus appropriations bill (H J Res 2). The Senate passed the legislation - which rolls funding for all 11 non-defense bills into one appropriations measure - by a vote of 69-29, cutting the domestic spending level adopted by last year's Democratic-led Appropriations Committee by $10 billion. Spending reductions include a mix of specific program cuts and a 2.9 percent across-the-board cut to all non-defense discretionary programs. (Due to an amendment introduced by Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Head Start would be exempt from the 2.9 percent cut).
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- Senate Proposes September TANF Extension, House Republicans Push for Accelerated Reauthorization
TANF funding, which is currently extended at FY 02 levels until the end of March (PL 104-193), will again be extended as part of the FY 03 omnibus appropriations bill (HJ Res 2) if the Senate-passed provision is adopted by the House. However, House Republicans may resist such an agreement in order to put pressure on the Senate to move a bill more quickly. Republicans are expected to introduce a bill in the House the week of February 3 that is essentially the same as the bill that passed through the House last session, but died in the Senate. Provisions of the House bill will include an increase in work requirements from 30 hours per week to 40 hours by 2008, an increase in work participation requirements from the current 50 percent to 70 percent, $1 billion in additional child care grants over the next five years, and $200 million in funds for marriage promotion programs. House leaders tentatively plan on marking up the bill the week of February 3 and hope to bring the bill to the floor by the end of February.
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