Health Care Bill and Children

This week, the Senate will decide whether to save jobs and services, protect health care for children, fund summer jobs for youth, provide help for unemployed families, and boost the economy. In last minute surprise maneuvers, members of the House of Representatives passed a scaled back jobs bill that dropped key supports for families who have lost jobs in this recession: Congress cut subsidies for COBRA healthcare coverage, as well as cut federal assistance to states which are struggling to pay for growing numbers of families who need help through Medicaid to obtain healthcare.PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS (Toll-free: 888-340-6521*)
and tell them:

• Please restore six months of extra Medicaid help to states and COBRA health coverage subsidies for the unemployed to the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213);
• Protect existing provisions in H.R. 4213 to extend unemployment insurance, continue the TANF Emergency Fund, provide summer jobs for youth, and fund the National Housing Trust Fund;
• ENACT H.R. 4213 WITH THESE ESSENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS NOW!

This is so important. Some in Congress are insisting on ending state aid, unemployment benefits, and the other vital services listed above because they think it will help reduce the deficit. They need to be reminded that our economy is still very weak. We will not reduce the deficit by throwing thousands more out of work and depriving the jobless of vital income that they put right back into the economy. Mark Zandi, Chief Economist for Moody’s Economy.Com, has rated unemployment insurance and state aid as two very effective ways to boost economic growth. (For every dollar spent on UI, $1.61 is returned in economic growth; every dollar spent on state aid generates $1.41 in economic growth.)

As Congress did not act last week, unemployment and health insurance benefits for the long-term unemployed have now expired. States are now making decisions about their budgets; without the $23 billion that should be added to H.R. 4213, they are likely to make even harsher cuts, not only in Medicaid, but across state programs. All the above provisions are urgently needed.

For mor information please see the background on bill:  http://www.chn.org/humanneeds/100602a.html
Read about the urgent need for continued federal aid to states:  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3199

You can also see the report by Every Child Matters: Homeland Insecurity …Why new investments in children and youth must be a priority for the Obama Administration and the 111th Congress.