LSA Washington – February 2, 2009
A regular publication from the LSA Public Policy Office
Senate Considering the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
On Monday, February 2, the Senate will take up consideration of S.1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The legislation totals $888 billion with a focus on job creation and help for families who are hurting as a result of the economy. The House passed its version of the bill, H.R. 1, on Wednesday, January 28, by a vote of 244-188, with all Republicans and 11 Democrats voting against the bill. LSA has been advocating for six program areas to be included in economic recovery legislation, based on our 2009 public policy priorities and LSA’s report on the impact of the economy on our members. In the Senate bill, LSA is supporting:
- funding of $400 million for the Social Services Block Grant
- $13.1 billion for important investments in affordable housing
- $16.5 billion in increased food stamp funding
- $87 billion for a temporary increase in the federal Medicaid matching rate (FMAP)
While LSA would like to see higher numbers for all of these programs, we have learned it is important to advocate for the bill as it is to help ensure its passage in the Senate. You can find the six program areas for which LSA has been advocating in
LSA's economic impact report. To view the latest LSA action alert for this legislation, please
click here. For more information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, please contact
Lisa Carr .
--Lisa Hassenstab
SCHIP Reauthorization Sent Back to House
The House and Senate have both passed H.R. 2, legislation to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The Senate added amendments to the bill, and thus the House must pass the legislation with the changes. The House is expected to vote again on February 4. The House origionally passed H.R. 2 by a vote of 289-139 on January 14. The Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 66-32 on January 29. The SCHIP program is scheduled to expire in March.
The amended SCHIP legislation extends the State Children's Health Insurance Program for four and a half years and would provide health insurance to an additional 4.1 million previously uninsured children. The legislation would provide health care to children who are ineligible for Medicaid but whose family incomes are too low to afford health insurance. The bill would allow legal immigrant children and pregnant women to receive SCHIP and Medicaid services. Current law bans legal immigrant children from acess to SCHIP for five years. Provisions to reduce barriers to SCHIP enrollment are included in the bill, including incentives for states to adopt presumptive eligibility, twelve month continuous enrollment, and other simplifications. Finally the bill includes improved access to dental care for SCHIP recipients. The cost of the legislation, $32.8 billion, would be funded by a cigarette tax of 62 cents per pack.
--Lisa Carr
Section 202 Bill Reintroduced in Senate
On January 6, the first day of the 111th Congress, Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) reintroduced the Section 202 Supporting Housing for the Elderly Reform Act, S. 118. This legislation would help streamline and simplify the process of developing and preserving affordable supportive housing for seniors. Similar legislation passed the House unanimously and was introduced in the Senate during the 110th Congress. The reintroduced bill has two changes from the previous version, one of which provides a specific allocation of funds to rural areas. Text of the bill, which currently has nine cosponsors, can be found by searching on the www.thomas.gov. A section-by-section summary of the bill is available on the AAHSA website. Questions? Please contact Lisa Hassenstab by email or at 202-626-7932.
--Lisa Hassenstab
LSA Advocacy Now on Twitter
Are you on Twitter? LSA Advocacy is! Follow what's happening with LSA public policy and advocacy by checking out our Twitter page regularly. You can also see what has been posted by going to the Take Action page of the LSA website. Better yet, join the Twitter family by creating your own account, and start "tweeting" for you or your organization! Please contact Lisa Hassenstab with any questions or to learn more about how to get started on Twitter.
--Lisa Hassenstab
LSA-DN's E-Advocacy Website and February Conference Call
Four months after launching LSA-DN’s e-advocacy website, www.lsadnadvocacy.org, nearly 100 individuals have signed up. Our site’s members include individuals who work for our organizations, families and friends of their consumers and individuals who are affiliated with Lutheran church bodies. Our website provides an opportunity to learn about LSA-DN’s public policy priorities and how to take action on them, including our advocacy efforts to secure an increase in the federal Medicaid matching rate in the economic recovery package. The site also allows members to share ideas, photos and videos with each other. To become a member of the site, please visit www.lsadnadvocacy.org and sign up.
While visiting www.lsadnadvocacy.org, please also RSVP to attend LSA-DN’s public policy conference call on February 26 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Ann O’Hara, Associate Director with the Technical Assistance Collaborative, will discuss the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program and the need for legislative reforms. One of LSA-DN’s priorities for 2009 is to advocate for passage of these legislative reforms. To learn more about this program and the legislation, please register by noon on February 25. You may also register by e-mailing advocacy@lutheranservices.org and specifying “Section 811” in the subject line.
--Heather Ansley
Sign up for LSA Public Policy Advocacy Action Alerts
Do you receive LSA Public Policy Advocacy action alerts? If not, please e-mail Lisa Hassenstab to get on the list so you can take action on issues of importance to your organization!
Advocacy Resource of the Week
Are you looking for new ways to use social media in your organization? Beth Kanter, a leading blogger in the field of social media and nonprofits, shares insights and tools for using social media on her blog. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Flickr.
-- Lisa Hassenstab
Register Now for the LSA Annual Conference
Registration information for the LSA 2009 Annual Conference can be found by clicking here. The conference is being held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, and reservations for the hotel can be made by calling 1-800-233-1234. More information on conference logistics can be found on the LSA website. We hope to see you on the Hill!
LSA Public Policy Conference Calls
Please join the LSA public policy team and featured speakers for a series of conference calls on LSA's priority issues. To RSVP for the calls, please e-mail the LSA DC office.
- February 5, 2:00 pm ET- Health Care Reform in the 111th Congress
- February 19, 2:00 pm ET- Child Welfare and Child Care in the 111th Congress
- March 5, 2:00 pm ET- Housing Initiatives for People with Low-Incomes
- March 19, 2:00 pm ET- Engagement and Social Change through National Service and Volunteerism
- April 2, 2:00 pm ET - Budget and Appropriations Outlook
- April 9, 2:00 pm ET- Do's and Don'ts of Legislative Visits
- April 16 - 2:00 pm ET - Update on LSA Public Policy Priorities and Gearing Up for Advocacy at the LSA Annual Conference
