Call your Senate and House members
on budget Call-In Days March 15, 16

President Bush has announced his intention to promote an "ownership society" in which everyone takes personal responsibility for their own health care, their retirement and the education of their children. At the same time, he also promises tax cuts to the most wealthy in the face of staggering deficits. It is immoral to continue cutting taxes for the wealthy, paying for wars and ignoring our most vulnerable citizens.

Both the Senate and House of Representatives are expected to vote this week on budget resolutions for fiscal year 2006 that provide deep cuts in programs and services for low- and moderate-income families.

Action

Call your United States senators and member of the House of Representative and urge them to protect essential services to the elderly, children, people with disabilities and families by opposing cuts in Medicaid, nutrition, education and other necessary services upon which our most vulnerable citizens depend.

Toll-free number for Capitol switchboard 800.247.2971

This toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee. AFSC has launched a new budget campaign: www.saveourservices.org

If you don't know the names of your senators or representative, visit our online Legislative Action Center and enter your postal zipcode. You also may use this resource to send a message by e-mail to your elected officials.
 

Message/talking points

As one of more than 32,000 members and supporters of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, I strongly urge you to support the following amendments in order to protect the human rights of all Americans.

1. Yes. Support the Smith-Bingaman amendment in order to strike the budget cuts to the state/federal Medicaid program.

2. Yes. Support the Feingold-Chafee "pay as you go" amendment that will hold new tax cuts to the same limits now being applied to new spending, to prevent tax cuts from deepening the deficit and forcing deep cuts in vital services.

Background

Hold your members of Congress accountable for budget decisions. Tell them that you want a federal budget which respects the human rights of all of us and provides essential services to those of us most at risk. And remind them that while they have appropriated great sums of money for military action their fellow citizens at home need their attention now.

For further information and background on the budget resolutions, visit our colleague organization, the Coalition on Human Needs.

Posted March 14, 2005