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URGENT ALERT - Labor H. Appropriations Bill (budget)

Justice For All
jfa@jfanow.org
URGENT Budget Alerts: Your Action Needed Now!
The appropriations (budget) bill which contains the health and human services projects like the $50 million for MiCASSA/Olmstead Systems Change grants to the states, as well as the $20 million for Nursing Home Transition Grants (and a bunch of other stuff too) is still stuck in Congress. This part of the budget is called the Labor H. Appropriations bill. It needs to pass before the end of the year or these projects will not be funded.
Some Republicans want to let the Labor H. Appropriations bill die and start fresh with the new President, in which case our money for MiCASSA/Olmstead and Nursing Home transition projects (among others) would be completely lost.
Even though Congress had reached an agreement on the Labor H. Appropriations bill before the election, Congressman Tom DeLay wants to keep the funding on this bill level with what was spent this last year. That would mean no new projects, no extra funding, etc.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
You need to call your Congress people, especially Republicans, and say the Labor H. Appropriations bill has lots of important pieces for people with disabilities. Please pass this bill before the end of this Legislative Session. Don't get into the details of specific things in the bill, just keep it general support for passing the Labor H. Appropriations bill.
Also tell your Congress person to contact DeLay's office and tell him to support the original Labor H. Appropriations bill funding for disability programs, as well as other programs.
If you do not know your Congress person's phone number or email you can
look it up on this site http://thomas.loc.gov/
We don't have much time so please help spread the word and make your calls right away!
ADAPT of Texas
adapt@adapt.org

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ACTION ALERT
December 5, 2000

The Arc of the United States
Last Chance for Family Opportunity Act 
Senate Majority Leader Lott Needs to Hear from YOU Today and Tomorrow!!!!!
Congress is back in town for a "lame duck" session. They will only be here for a few days and are not planning on doing much beyond trying to figure out how to deal with the last appropriations bills. HOWEVER, the more than 200 Republican and Democratic Members of the House and Senate, who are sponsors of the Family Opportunity Act, are still pushing for it to be enacted this year and the White House has now made FOA its number one health care priority.
The roadblock is Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) who has been telling bill sponsors and the White House that he is not hearing from "real people" or from members of the Senate that this is an important bill. Advocates know that this is not accurate since - for months and months-Sen. Lott has been the target of many communications from members of The Arc and other people around the country. 
Action Needed:
1. Call your Senators and ask them to call Sen. Lott and tell him that the Family Opportunity Act is important to his/her constituents - families with children with disabilities who are trying to do the best for their kids and keep their families together. 
2. Call or fax Sen. Lott's office and tell him that: Trent Lott (R-MS) personal office phone and fax: 224-6253/224-2262 - Majority Leader office phone: 224-3135.

a. The Family Opportunity Act is a bipartisan bill.
b. It is important to families with children with disabilities who are trying to do the best for their kids and keep their families together. 
c. It is the chance for parents to try and provide the best health care possible for their children with disabilities by buying into the Medicaid program if they cannot get what they need through their job. 
d. It is not a handout. 
e. It is the chance for parents to have and keep jobs and not have to impoverish them selves so their children with disabilities can get desperately needed health care. 

For more information on the FOA and to see if your Senator is a co-sponsor, check The Arc Action Center at www.thearc.org. For more information call or email Kathy McGinley at 202-785-3388 or McGinley@thearc.org.
1730 K Street, N.W.
Suite 1212
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 785-3388 / FAX (202) 467-4179 / 
TDD (202) 785-3411 / E-Mail GAOinfo@thearc.org

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Fred Fay
Chair, Justice For All
jfa@jfanow.org
http://www.jfanow.org 

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