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.

If you would like to receive the Human Needs Report sign up here.

Articles from November 24, 2004

• Congress Passes Massive Spending Bill
  On Saturday, November 20 the House and Senate cleared a massive spending bill that funds nine of the thirteen appropriations bills for fiscal year 2005. The final conference report (HR 4818 , H Rept 108-792) contains $388.4 billion in discretionary spending, including money for the Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Justice and several other agencies.
  (More >)
  
  
• IDEA Reauthorized
  By a strong bipartisan margin, Congress agreed to renew the law that grants 6.7 million children with disabilities the right to a public education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides federal funding to local school districts to ensure that children with disabilities have equal access to free public education in the "least restrictive environment."
  (More >)
  
  
• White House, Congress Fail to Save $1.1 Billion in Expiring SCHIP Funds
  By failing to act before the end of the session, Congress is allowing $1.1 billion in earmarked funds for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to revert back to the U.S. Treasury. Although the President claimed on the campaign trail that he supported insuring more of the nation's 8.4 million uninsured children, he did nothing to press Congress to pass legislation that would have redistributed the unspent funds to the states.
  (More >)