Get the Facts

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GET THE FACTS 07/10/2003
http://www.aauw.org/takeaction/gtf/alert030710.pdf

Passage of Meaningful Child Tax Credit in Jeopardy

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July 10, 2003. In early June, Congress approved and President Bush signed into law an economic package with $350 billion in tax cuts that also included $20 billion in much-needed aid to the states. But this economic plan intentionally excluded an important child tax credit provision that would have helped almost 12 million low-income children.

To remedy this, in early June the Senate passed a $10 billion package to extend the $1,000 child tax credit to 6.5 million working families who would not have qualified under the tax cut plan the president just signed. The House leadership has refused to consider the Senate bill, however, and instead has moved forward with a proposal that is problematic because

* The bill the House passed is more expensive­totaling $82 billion­because it included additional tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
* Unlike the Senate version­which pays for itself­the House bill will push the federal government further into debt at a time when it's already cutting critical programs.
* The Senate bill would immediately provide much-needed funds to low-income families and a critical boost to the economy, while the House plan would require low-income families to wait until 2004 for their refund.

Here's What You Can Do!
Help spread the word. Work with friends and family to distribute this alert in your community.
Call your senators and representatives at 202/224-3121 and urge them to support the Senate's version of the child tax credit bill.

June 12, 2003

New Legislation Proposed to Restore Funding for International Family Planning

On May 7, the House International Relations Committee narrowly passed an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 1950) that restored funding for the United Nations Family Planning Program (UNFPA). The full House is expected to consider the bill in June, and an attempt will likely be made to remove the UNFPA funding from the bill.

In February 2002, President Bush froze UNFPA funding. Last year's denial of UNFPA funds has been devastating to women and families in the poorest developing countries and has undermined the agency's capacity to

* Prevent 2 million unplanned pregnancies and 800,000 abortions. UNFPA does not fund abortions but instead reduces the number of unplanned pregnancies and subsequent abortions.
* Prevent the deaths of 4,700 women. UNFPA reduces the maternal mortality rate by providing quality reproductive health and family planning services in developing countries.
* Prevent the deaths of 77,000 infants and children per year. Family planning improves child survival rates by allowing women to time and space births, thereby decreasing the incidence of low-birth-weight infants and improving overall child health.

Here's What You Can Do!

* Help spread the word. Work with friends and family todistribute this alert in your community.
* Call your representatives at 202/224-3121 and urge them to oppose any attempt to restrict UNFPA funding in the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 1950).

HOUSE-PASSED WELFARE BILL FAILS WOMEN AND FAMILIES

On Feb. 13, the House passed (230-192) the Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2003 (H.R. 4). H.R. 4 lacks adequate access to education and training programs; increases work requirements without providing adequate childcare funding; authorizes $300 million per year for experimental marriage promotion programs; and includes $50 million per year in funding for abstinence-only programs.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) should have been reauthorized by the end of the 107th Congress, and has been operating under a continuing resolution since Sept. 30, 2002. PRWORA was enacted in 1996 and dramatically altered the way the federal government provides financial assistance to poor families. Under this act, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) was created, which among other things instituted work requirements and set an arbitrary time limit of 60 months on families receiving assistance. Further, these new rules made it harder for many poor women to access the education and training programs needed to achieve economic self-sufficiency and move out of poverty. As the debate moves to the Senate, advocates will press for increased access to education and job training.

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO!

Help spread the word. Work with friends and family to distribute this alert in your community.

Call your senators at 202/224-3121, and ask them to support common sense welfare reauthorization that includes increased access to education and training programs; increased childcare funding; and maintains current work hour requirements.

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GET THE FACTS 2/13/03

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BUSH ECONOMIC PLAN DOES LITTLE FOR MOST TAXPAYERS

On Jan. 7 President Bush announced new proposals to strengthen the economy. The new proposal contains numerous provisions including making the 2001 tax cuts permanent; new, permanent tax cuts amounting to $670 billion; new "personal re-employment" accounts; and exempting corporate tax dividends from individual income taxes. The Bush administration states the proposals would cost $674 billion over the next 10 years. However, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities projects the actual cost of the proposals--including making the 2001 tax cuts permanent, with interest--would be $2.2 trillion. The proposed tax cuts would largely benefit the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans and jeopardize critical federal programs, including education and healthcare.

The president's proposed economic plan hurts the nation:

--The package of tax cuts proposed by President Bush is too costly and would do little to stimulate the weak economy and create jobs now.

--The new tax cuts jeopardize the nation's ability to meet its domestic and foreign responsibilities; threaten national and state fiscal stability and security both now and in future years; and inequitably distribute the benefits they provide.

--The proposed economic plan especially hurts the states. Many are already
facing budget deficits and cutting programs, and they are in desperate need of
relief. The 2001 tax cuts are one factor behind the states' funding problems. In fact, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the new proposals will result in another $4.5 billion in lost revenue to the states due to the link between the state and federal tax codes.

In contrast to President Bush's plan, a responsible economic package should include aid to states to help respond to their fiscal crises and should focus on people who will spend the money now, including those hit hard by the economic downturn.

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Here's What You Can Do!
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Help spread the word. Work with friends and family to distribute this alert in
your community.

Call your senators and representatives at 202/224-3121 and urge them to oppose the president's economic plan.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE ALERTS, CALL 800/608-5286

WOMEN'S NETWORK FOR CHANGE ~ American Association of University Women ~ Advocates for Youth ~ American College of Nurse-Midwives ~American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ~ American Medical Women's Association ~ Business and Professional Women/USA ~ Center for the Child Care Workforce ~ Center for Ethics in Action ~ Center for Policy Alternatives ~ Coalition of Labor Union Women ~ Federally Employed Women ~ Feminist Majority ~ Fifty plus One ~ Girls Incorporated ~ Gray Panthers ~ Hadassah ~ MANA, A National Latina Organization ~ Ms. Foundation for Women ~ 9to5, National Association of Working Women ~ National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League ~ National Abortion Federation ~ National Association of Social Workers ~ National Council of Jewish Women ~ National Council of Negro Women ~ National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association ~ National Hook-Up of Black Women, Inc. ~ National Network of Abortion Funds ~ National Organization for Women ~ National Partnership for Women and Families ~ National Political Congress of Black Women, Inc. ~ National Women's Law Center ~ National Women's Political Caucus ~ New Girl Times ~OWL The Voice of Mid-Life and Older Women ~ Planned Parenthood Federation of America ~ ProChoice Resource Center ~ Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice ~ United States Student Association ~ Wider Opportunities for Women ~ Women Work! ~ Women's Campaign Fund ~ Women's Environment and Development Organization ~ WomenÆs International League for Peace and Freedom ~ YWCA of the U.S.A.

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Last modified 7/30/05