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When the Senate took up the budget in mid-March, the hard work of advocates paid off, with $7 billion added in health, education and many other social services; they also voted to add $3.3 billion for energy assistance.
Now the House is at work on the budget, and a big battle is going on. Right wing members want a budget at least as harsh as the President's proposal - with deep cuts in human needs programs, more tax breaks for special interests and the rich, and rules changes so that the balance shifts even more heavily in favor of tax breaks and against services. But others - Republicans and Democrats alike - have been learning about the harm these cuts will cause.
What happens in the House of Representatives depends on how many weigh in on the side of people in need. Advocates were extremely active a few months ago and made sure that members of Congress knew their constituents wanted them to oppose cuts. Now it's time to remind them we still care.
However you do it, please weigh in now to tell your Representative to:
1. Reject proposed cuts like the President's in the "discretionary" programs, the programs Congress funds annually , like Head Start, education, nutrition aid, job training, housing for the elderly and people with disabilities, and others.
2. Reject proposed cuts like the President's to "entitlements," programs that are set up to operate without any need for legislation from Congress each year. These programs include Food Stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and others.
3. Protect programs that serve low- and middle-income people by rejecting the massive tax breaks that largely favor the wealthy and create pressure to slash services. These tax breaks include the proposed extension of the capital gains and dividend tax breaks and others.
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