Summary of RESULTS U.S. Campaigns for 2009Note: this is a summary of RESULTS U.S. Campaigns for 2009. See our current campaigns page for an overview of our 2010 campaigns. Health Care for All by 20101. Expand and strengthen quality coverage for all Americans at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level through Medicaid.Why This Campaign Is ImportantLack of access to quality, affordable health care is a huge problem for millions of Americans; 46 million Americans, including 8 million children, are uninsured, millions more are underinsured, and thousands of people are losing their insurance coverage every day. Our work on expanding access to health care saw fruition as 2009 began. At the start of the year the president signed new legislation to renew and improve the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health coverage to low- and moderate-income children. This new law will allow 4.1 million children who are uninsured to get health coverage. Also, states will now have the option to cover legal immigrant children and pregnant mothers with federal CHIP funds. Many adults, no matter how low their income, do not qualify for Medicaid and cannot afford coverage on their own. Because states set their own eligibility levels, only 16 states and Washington, DC, currently cover parents up to the federal poverty level ($22,050 for a family of four in 2009). For almost all adults who do not meet the current categorical standards, Medicaid is not an option no matter their income level. Thirty-five percent of uninsured Americans have income levels below $10,830 a year — by expanding Medicaid, we can reduce the number of uninsured by over one-third. Campaign Status
The House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R.3962), 220-215 on November 7, 2009. The House bill has some very encouraging changes around RESULTS' 2009 priorities for health reform. They are: The Senate passed its version on December 24. This bill expands Medicaid to all persons at or below 133 percent of FPL; does not provide for doctors' reimbursements at the same rate or better than Medicare (like in the House bill); does not ensure that newly eligible persons receive the same benefits as current enrollees; and provides for 100 percent federal financing for the expansion for only a limited time. TAKE ACTION: Call your representative and both senators to support a final House-Senate bill that expands coverage for America’s most vulnerable through a strengthened Medicaid program. Specifically, ask both representatives and senators to contact their leadership and urge that they to expand Medicaid eligibility to all those at or below 150 percent of the FPL with the full benefit package in place for all, improve the doctor reimbursement payment structure to guarantee that Medicaid participants can access quality care in their communities, and provide for full federal financing. 2. Increase access for underserved communities through Community Health Centers.Why This Campaign Is ImportantMany people in rural areas and urban inner cities lack nearby health care facilities and primary care providers. Health reform must increase access to quality care, especially for underserved communities. Currently, there are approximately 1,100 community health centers in the U.S., serving 19 million people. This is the nation’s largest primary care system. Although anyone can seek treatment at a CHC, most of those cared for in this system are uninsured or on Medicaid (Medicaid makes up a large portion of CHC budgets). In addition, CHCs primarily serve lower income and minority communities; 70 percent of patients have incomes below 100 percent of the poverty line and 91 percent below 200 percent of the poverty line. Yet, the CHC budget averages about $2 billion per year, about .08 percent of the $2.5 trillion the U.S. spends on health care each year. Campaign StatusThe Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R.3962) passed by the House provides that community health centers are authorized to receive gradual funding increases, from $1 billion more in 2010 to $4 billion more in 2015. The Access for All Americans Act (S.486/H.R.1296) would authorize $8.3 billion per year for the expansion of Qualified Health Centers from the current number of 1,100 to 4,800. The bills also addresses the need for doctors and health service providers by increasing the National Health Service Corps budget to $1.2 billion a year, a ten-fold expansion of current funding. The House health care reform bill provides $14 billion over five years for CTC expansion, while the Senate bill provides $10 billion over five years. TAKE ACTION: Urge Congress to expand access to primary care through a larger and better supported community health center network. Specifically, ask your members of Congress to contact leaders who are negotiating a final health care reform bill, including Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV), Senators Baucus (D-MT), and Harkin (D-IA); House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA-8), Representatives Waxman (D-CA-30), Miller (D-CA-7), and Rangel (D-NY-15), and urge them to include the House-passed amount of $14 billion over five years in final health reform legislation. 3. Build support for a National Health Program (aka single payer system) as the long-term vision for the health system we need.
Why This Campaign Is ImportantRESULTS has endorsed a national health care plan (single-payer) to provide everyone in the U.S. with health coverage. Bills we support include H.R.676, the United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act (introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-MI-14), and S.703/H.R.1200, the American Health Security Act of 2009 (introduced by Sen. Sanders, I-VT/Rep. McDermott, D-WA-7). Campaign StatusUnfortunately, neither the House bill passed in November nor the bill passed by the Senate on December 24 included single-payer health care. While we remain committed to a national health program as the long-term goal for the U.S. health care system and continue to advocate for it, we are also focusing our efforts on ensuring that the health reform legislation enacted this year will not only serve as a “bridge” to this vision, but also provide the most vulnerable in our society with quality, affordable health care. TAKE ACTION: Remind your representative and both senators of your support for a single payer system. Remind them that they can still cosponsor single payer bills, including S.703 by Senator Sanders' (I-VT) and H.R.676 by Rep. Conyers (D-MI-14). Also ask them to seek provisions in the final health reform bill, now being negotiated, that would allow states to implement their own single payer plans. 4. Support efforts to end childhood hunger in the United States through investments in Child NutritionWhy This Campaign Is ImportantFederal child nutrition programs help ensure that children in low-income families are getting the food they need to be healthy and productive. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 16.7 million children (22.5 percent of all children) lived in households that were food insecure in 2008, up sharply from 12.4 million (16.9 percent) in 2007; this means their families had to scramble, with varying outcomes, to put food on the table. Both poverty and food insecurity were much higher for Hispanic and African-American households than for non-Hispanic White households. Research shows that even moderate under-nutrition can have lasting effects on the cognitive development of children. For poor and near-poor families, nutrition assistance programs are a safety net they cannot afford to do without. Status and Key ActionsWhile RESULTS is not focused on child nutrition programs as a major part of our health campaign work this year, we are working with our allies in Washington to support improvements in the child nutrition programs, which include:
TAKE ACTION: Use our online alert to send an e-mail to Congress urging strengthening of child nutrition programs in reauthorization. You can also take action in support of a White House Summit on Food and Nutrition. Economic Opportunity for All1. Protect and strengthen tax supports for low-income familiesWhy This Campaign Is ImportantWe at RESULTS strongly believe in a fair tax code and in giving low-income families opportunities to move up the economic ladder. We support features of the tax code that assist working families, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Expanding these credits for low-income individuals and families are key tools in reducing poverty in the U.S. Tax policy should create economic opportunity for all and pave pathways out of poverty. RESULTS urges Congress to expand the EITC by doing the following:
RESULTS urges Congress to improve the CTC:
Status and Key ActionsIn February 2009, Congress passed and the president signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the economic recovery bill, into law. The bill includes an expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit by increasing the EITC amount for families with three or more children to up to 45 percent of household income. ARRA also improves the EITC to help married couples by increasing the “phase-out” income for married couples so as to not “punish” low-income workers who choose to get married (previously, the EITC would phase out too quickly for dual low-income households)., The economic recovery bill also expands access Child Tax Credit by lowering the minimum income threshold to $3,000 for 2009 and 2010; with this change, an additional 2.9 million low-income children will become eligible for the credit and another 10 million families will receive an increased credit. While RESULTS supports an even lower threshold (the original House proposal lowered it to $0) and for making the CTC fully refundable, this is a great improvement over previous law. RESULTS will continue its push to make these provisions permanent and to enact other tax supports for working families in 2009 and 2010. 2. Fight off attempts to enact more tax breaks that deepen the wealth gapWhy This Campaign Is ImportantTax policies that favor the highest-bracket tax filers not only widen the gap between rich and poor, but also reduce revenues. This revenue shortfall and consequent federal deficits have been used to justify cuts in domestic anti-poverty programs. This is why RESULTS works to fight off attempts to enact more tax breaks that are skewed toward the rich. The estate tax is the most progressive tax in the tax code. It applies only to a minute portion of the population yet raises billions of dollars in revenue each year. In 2009, the estate tax only applies to 0.3 percent of all estates (estates worth more than $3.5 million per person; assets above $3.5 million are taxed at a 45 percent rate. In January 2010, the estate tax went into full repeal for one year. Congress may act to restore the estate tax retroactive to January 1, 2010. Opponents will use such legislative action as an opportunity to cut or permanently repeal the tax. Status and Key ActionsRep. Jim McDermott (D-WA-7) has introduced H.R.2023, The Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2009. This bill would roll back some of the costly and unnecessary cuts to the estate tax implemented over the last 8 years. H.R.2023 would reset the estate tax exemption at $2 million per person and index that amount to inflation. For assets in excess of $2 million, the tax rate would be 45 percent; for assets in excess of $5 million, the rate would be 50 percent; and for assets in excess of $10 million, the rate would be 55 percent. This is estimated to cost $54 billion less over the next ten years than the proposal in the FY 2010 budget (maintain 2009 law but index the exemption to inflation). RESULTS has chosen to endorse H.R.2023 as a common-sense approach to the estate tax. TAKE ACTION: Contact your representatives and urge them to cosponsor H.R.2023, the Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2009. Use our online alert to contact them. 3. Support asset-building programs to help low-income families achieve financial securityWhy This Campaign Is ImportantBuilding assets and savings helps low-income families to become financially self-reliant. In addition to increasing financial security through building a stock of capital and access to credit, assets support low-income families in breaking the cycle of poverty through enabling them to make investments in property, educational achievement, and small business. RESULTS urges Congress to enact federal legislation that creates progressive asset-based programs, such as Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), KIDS accounts, the Saver's Bonus, and the Saver's Tax Credit. These programs help to ensure that our federal savings and ownership policies assist working-poor families and address the growing gap in national wealth inequality. Status and Key ActionsIn May, Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND-1) reintroduced the Savings for Working Families Act of 2009 (H.R.2277/S.985) in the Senate and the House to expand the Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) program, which encourages low-income families to build savings through federally matched savings accounts and provides participants with financial literacy training to promote economic security. IDAs have proven to be successful in helping low-income families to enter the financial mainstream. The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) reports that more than half of program graduates who previously received public assistance no longer receive assistance after completing the program. The Savings for Working Families Act would expand IDAs to nearly 3 million additional low-income families. The Savings for American Families' Future Act of 2009 (H.R. 1961), also introduced by Represenative Pomeroy (D-ND-1), includes components of the Saver's Tax Credit and the Saver's Bonus to expand and enhance the effectiveness of opportunities for low and middle-income families to build retirement savings. The bill would extend the Saver's Tax Credit, a tax credit for voluntary retirement savings contributions, to the lowest income families by making the Credit refundable and would raise the eligibility requirement for the Credit to allow additional middle-income families to participate. The bill also proposes to strengthen the Saver's Tax Credit by providing a 50 percent federal match on qualified contributions to a retirement savings account and depositing matching funds through an automatic transfer to facilitate participation. TAKE ACTION: Contact your representatives and urge them to cosponsor the Savings for Working Families Act (H.R. 2277/S. 985) and the Savings for American Families' Future Act (H.R. 1961) to assist working families in building assets that promote financial security. Early Childhood Development1. Substantially increase funding for Head Start, Early Head Start and child careWhy This Campaign Is ImportantAccess to quality early childhood development programs is central to breaking the cycle of poverty. We focus our childhood development efforts on early education and child care. Head Start and Early Head Start give children a better chance to succeed in school and in life. Also, affordable, quality Child Care is vital for parents who want their children to be in a safe, learning, and nurturing environment while they are at work. We support annual funding increases for Head Start, Early Head Start, and the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Because these programs have been chronically under-funded, federal child care assistance reaches only one out of seven eligible children, Head Start only reaches 40 percent of eligible preschoolers, and Early Head Start only serves less than 3 percent of all eligible families with infants and toddlers. Status and Key ActionsThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) included $2.1 billion in temporary funding for Head Start ($1.1 billion of that is for Early Head Start). ARRA also included an additional $2 billion in CCDBG funds to provide services to an additional 300,000 children and their families. RESULTS is pleased with the substantial investments for Head Start and child care included in the economic recovery package. Because of these significant investments, we are not focusing efforts on our early childhood development campaign. TAKE ACTION: Thanks policymakers for the increase in funds for early childhood programs, and urge them to consider a $1 billion increase each for CCDBG and Head Start for next year so that they do not face a “funding cliff” when the temporary recovery funds run out in 2011. You can also send e-mails through our Head Start and child care funding action alert.
|