January 7, 2002
CDF ACTION COUNCIL UPDATE
New Congress Convenes
The 108th Congress convened this week and members are gearing up to
make important decisions that will have consequences for America's
children for years to come.
The new Congress will consider another round of tax cuts that could
benefit the wealthiest and starve children's services. The President
today released a new $600 billion ten year tax cut package that targets
most of its assistance to the richest Americans. These new tax cuts
are
on top of the $1.3 trillion tax cut enacted in 2001, which when fully
phased in will direct 52 percent of the cuts to the top one percent of
taxpayers - with average incomes exceeding $1 million a year.
The ten-year cost for one item in the President's plan - the
elimination of taxation on dividends paid to individuals - would more
than cover the cost of providing comprehensive health care for each of
the 9.2 million uninsured children and all the unserved children
eligible for and in need of Head Start. Other plans better designed to
stimulate the economy also have been proposed, and Congress will focus
considerable attention on these plans in the weeks ahead. See [link]
for Marian Wright Edelman's comments on the new Bush tax plan. We will
give you additional analysis of the new Bush tax plan in the coming
weeks.
At the same time that the Administration proposes new tax cuts, it
claims we cannot afford new spending for children's services. Congress
will have to weigh those choices as it attempts to complete the
appropriations bills for the 2003 fiscal year that began last October.
President Bush has insisted on tight spending restraints that will make
increases for children's services very difficult. The new Congress
also
must tackle an extension of Unemployment Insurance for thousands of low
income workers - legislation left unfinished last year. Also left
unfinished was the reauthorization of the child care and Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) legislation, and the new Congress
will take this up as well. We will work once again to secure an $11.25
billion increase in funding for child care and to oppose harsh new work
requirements on welfare recipients.
The challenges to children and families are more daunting than ever and
we are counting on your help to make sure Congress makes the right
choices so that our country will truly Leave No Child Behind.?®
Throughout the year we will be asking that you raise your voices loud
and clear so they are heard in the halls of the Capitol - through phone
calls, letters, faxes and e-mail.
The CDF Action Council listserv is moving!
Over the next few months we will be phasing our current listserv out
and creating a new one that will give us more capabilities to inform
you
about what your Representatives are up to, as well as to make it easier
for you to send emails to them.
In order to continue receiving the CDF Action Council updates and
alerts, you must visit http://capwiz.com/cdf/mlm/ and fill in your
information. Although this new listserv will ask you to fill in more
information, such as your mailing address, we guarantee that this
information will not be used for solicitation or sold to any third
party
organizations. We will use the zip code you give us to provide you
with
more targeted information about your Members of Congress. Please
disregard this if you have already signed up for the new listserv.
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Anna Beardsley
Children's Defense Fund
25 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
CDFactioncouncil@childrensdefense.org