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 July 22, 2005

• Advocates Propose Medicaid Savings to Avoid Harming Low-Income People
  Since the April 28 budget resolution calling for $10 billion in spending cuts to be made by committees with jurisdiction over Medicaid, advocates have been searching for strategies to prevent cuts to benefits or eligibility.
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• Senate Committee Agrees to Labor-HHS-Education Spending Bill
  Congress moved one step closer to approving fiscal year 2006 funding for a wide range of education, health, workforce training and human service programs when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved H.R. 3010 by a vote of 27 to 0 on July 14. The House approved the spending bill June 24. (See story in July 1 Human Needs Report.)
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• Housing, Community Development Funding Moves in Senate
  On Thursday, July 21, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 28 to 0 to approve a bill that would fund a variety of housing and community development programs for fiscal year 2006. The Senate bill, (H.R. 3058) provides funds for the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Treasury, and Transportation. The House passed a similar but not identical bill on June 30.
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• Privatizers Attempt Trojan Horse Legislation in the House
  On July 15, Representative Jim McCrery (R-LA), Chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee, and other House Republicans introduced a bill (H.R. 3304) to create private accounts in Social Security by funding them with surplus payments that are supposed to fund future benefits.
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• Expanding Health Coverage for Children with Disabilities Still a Possibility in Senate
  As early as next week the Senate might vote once again on the Family Opportunity Act (S.183/ H.R. 1443) , a bill expanding Medicaid coverage for children with significant disabilities. Despite attracting widespread, bipartisan support in both houses of Congress since authored by Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) in 1999, the Family Opportunity Act has yet to be signed into law.
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• Estate Tax Vote in Senate - Not If, But When
  It remains unclear whether or not the Senate will take a vote on the repeal of the estate tax next week before adjourning for August recess. Reports indicate that Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) continues to sort out his options -- which could include delaying any votes until September or forcing one or more votes next week.
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