**** Call Congress March 14 & 15 & send them an email (RE: BUDGET CUTS)

Guide to the FY 2007 Federal Budget:: http://www.chn.org/pdf/FY07BudgetAnalysis.pdf

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Individuals can send an email to Congress opposing these cuts by clicking here:
http://www.chn.org/takeaction/index.html

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Call Your Senators to Protect the Services We Need!

Click here for a PDF flier with this information:
http://www.chn.org/pdf/BudgetCallInMarch14&15.pdf

Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15
Don’t let the budget resolution shortchange nutrition, education, health, housing, child care, and other essential services for young and old alike - to pay for tax cuts once again mostly for the rich and special interests.

Please make 2 calls - one to each Senators.
Use this toll-free number to be connected both times: 800-459-1887

(Thanks again to the American Friends Service Committee for providing the number and to several generous organizations who have shared in the cost.)

Here’s what to say when you get through to your Senator's staff:

Please tell Senator __________ to oppose any budget resolution that will force harmful cuts in education, health care, nutrition, housing, and other services for vulnerable children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Please also vote against tax breaks that take funds away from needed services and deepen the deficit.

Why: Congress has started work on next year’s federal budget. The first step in the process is the budget resolution, an outline of federal spending for the next year. The budget resolution sets the total dollars to be available for all the services funded by the federal government, and also sets tax levels (including tax cuts, if they choose). The budget resolution does not make decisions about individual services, but if the total is set too low, it will force cuts later on.

As early as the week of March 13, the full Senate may take up its version of the budget resolution, with the House expected to take it up early in April. It is extremely important that advocates tell their Senators not to set the funding totals so low that harmful cuts are inevitable, and not to include unfair and unaffordable tax cuts. If we allow them to shortchange the budget now, later on, the only way to increase funding for one important service will be to cut another one - the old trick of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

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 the non-partisan budget goals towards which CHN always works 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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Please forward this e-mail!

The Senate Is Debating the Budget NOW!

Tell Your Senators TODAY:
Don't Sacrifice America's Priorities to Give Tax Breaks to Millionaires!

Senators are considering important amendments to the budget resolution, such as the Specter-Harkin Amendment that adds $7 billion to restore funding for education, nutrition and vital social services programs (like Head Start, child care, Meals on Wheels and others).

Please make 2 calls - one to each Senator.
Use this toll-free number to be connected both times: 800-459-1887

(Thanks again to the American Friends Service Committee for providing the number and to several generous organizations who have shared in the cost.)

Here’s what to say when you get through to your Senator's staff:

1. "Please tell Senator _________ to support the Specter-Harkin Amendment."

2. "Please tell Senator __________ to oppose any budget resolution that will force harmful cuts in programs that serve needy people and to oppose tax breaks that take funds away from needed services and deepen the deficit."

Background:

What is the Specter-Harkin Amendment? The Specter-Harkin Amendment would restore $7 billion in funding to the committees that have jurisdiction over education, nutrition, social services, energy assistance, Head Start, child care, Meals on Wheels, and many other vital services. Failure to enact this amendment will result in serious cuts to these services. This amendment really helps because it adds $7 billion to the total money available for annually funded programs.

What kinds of programs are we worried about? Programs like education, health care, nutrition, housing, and other services for vulnerable children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities -- programs that should not be cut to pay towards tax breaks for millionaires.

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 the non-partisan budget goals towards which CHN always works 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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Please forward this e-mail!