****** ALERT! ****** U.S. HOUSE BUDGET VOTE TODAY - MAY 17! ******

The following Republican Representatives are considered possible swing-votes -- they could buck their leaders and stop the budget cuts from passing:

Don Young + (AK)

Rick Renzi * (AZ)

Bob Beauprez (CO)
Marilyn Musgrave (CO)

Nancy Johnson * (CT)
Chris Shays * (CT)
Rob Simmons * (CT)

Mike Castle * (DE)

Mark Foley (FL)
E. Clay Shaw (FL)

Jim Leach * + (IA)

Timothy Johnson (IL)
Ray LaHood * (IL)

Edward Whitfield * (KY)

Wayne Gilchrest * (MD)

Vernon Ehlers (MI)
Joe Schwarz * (MI)
Fred Upton * (MI)

Jim Ramstad * (MN)

JoAnn Emerson * (MO)

Walter Jones (NC)

Tom Osborne + (NE)

Jeb Bradley + (NH)

Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
Christopher Smith (NJ)

Heather Wilson * + (NM)

Jon Porter * (NV)

Sherwood Boehlert * (NY)
Sue Kelly (NY)
John R. Kuhl * + (NY)
John McHugh * (NY)
John Sweeney (NY)
James Walsh (NY)

Steve LaTourette * (OH)
Bob Ney * (OH)

Philip English + (PA)
Mike Fitzpatrick (PA)
Jim Gerlach * + (PA)
Melissa Hart + (PA)
Timothy Murphy + (PA)
Todd Platts * (PA)
Curt Weldon * (PA)

Ron Paul + (TX)

http://www.chn.org/issues/opportunityforall/housebudgetresolution.html

The last round of harmful budget cuts was passed last year by only two votes in the House of Representatives. All the Democrats in the House opposed it and hopefully they will oppose the budget proposal this year as well. About two dozen Republican House members have explicitly stated this year that cuts to social programs Americans depend on are not acceptable. If we hold these Representatives to their words, this budget cannot pass.

http://www.chn.org/issues/opportunityforall/housebudgetresolution.html (The list of 'swing vote' Reps is here (& in post #6) )

NEWS - HOUSE DEAL LONG ON PROMISES, SHORT ON FUNDS

What kind of budget deal is the House cooking up today (May 17)?

Best guess: it still makes cuts.

The House is moving forward towards a budget vote. From what we hear, the deal will include a non-binding vote calling for the extra funds moderates have sought for health, education and other services - but ONLY if the extra money is paid for by cuts in other services. The offsetting cuts may come from entitlement programs like Medicaid, Food Stamps, or income assistance for the poor, or from other services that need annually approved funding.

PLEASE CALL NOW! 800-459-1887, TOLL-FREE. Tell your Representative:

"Please vote NO on the budget deal before you. It still requires cuts in human needs programs - once again robbing Peter to pay Paul. It still cuts needed services to pay for tax giveaways to millionaires."

Your calls can stop this bad budget. But you have to call now (Wednesday, May 17).

* Please forward this to your friends and networks ASAP! *

BACKGROUND: A House Budget that Still Does Not Prevent Cuts in Human Needs Services.

The House leadership has been negotiating with moderates to wrangle enough votes to pass their budget resolution. The budget remains stuck with the same total for annually funded programs as the President’s proposal - $873 billion. That’s more than $10 billion short of what’s needed for domestic services.

The possible deal: Members are being asked to vote on a non-binding resolution stating that appropriations for Labor-Health and Human Services-Education programs be $7.2 billion higher than the President’s proposal - provided they pay for the increase with cuts in other programs. Some reports suggest that these cuts could come from entitlement programs (such as Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, student loans, etc.). Although we haven’t seen the language, it appears there is no assurance that the extra funds would not come from cuts in other domestic services, either those that need annual funding (housing, veterans, nutrition, environment, etc.) or ongoing programs like Medicaid.

Further, the non-binding vote seems not to promise that the House Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill will contain the full extra $7.2 billion beyond the President’s proposal. The House appropriations bill will add about $4.1 billion, as had already been promised. The other $3.1 billion could be part of the conference deal with the Senate, if such a deal is ever worked out. Even if it is added, the total is still about $3 billion less than the cost of providing current services.

To sum up: Reasons Why This Budget Still Deserves a NO Vote:

Additional Labor-H-Ed funds will come from cuts elsewhere – possibly entitlements or other needed services. The bottom line does not grow.

If the money does find its way to Labor-H-Ed, it will not be enough to prevent cuts – and not just in the House version, but in the final legislation.

The budget still includes entitlement cuts, with more than $4 billion to come from the House Ways and Means Committee, which presides over Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, child care, child welfare services, child support enforcement, unemployment insurance, cash aid for poor seniors and people with disabilities, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The budget still includes unaffordable and unfair tax cuts.
Use the toll-free number above to reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard and ask to be connected to your Representative's office. (The person at the switchboard can figure out who your Representative is if you're not sure). When you’re connected, please give the message above.

The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee which has launched a budget campaign, http://www.afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/ AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of non-partisan budget goals and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.

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