Legislation & Politics

Letter to Representatives opposing the House Republican Leadership's amendment to the FY 2006 Budget Resolution

October 19, 2005

Dear Representative:

On behalf of the 1.4 million members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), I am writing to urge you to oppose the House Republican Leadership's amendment to the already passed FY 2006 Budget Resolution. The Budget Resolution already calls for $35 billion in cuts in mandatory spending programs. Increasing the level of cuts to $50 billion from vital public services, including Medicaid, Food Stamps, education, housing, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), would be unconscionable. We urge you to speak out publicly against these damaging cuts and to vote "NO!" when the House considers this harmful amendment.

This budget is already unfair and it fails to reflect our nation's priorities. It will force more children to struggle for a good education and to visit non-emergency room doctors, deprive vulnerable seniors of critical nursing home services, reduce quality early education and child care, undermine public safety and environmental protections, and break our promises to America's veterans. The plan to increase the cuts to $50 billion will provide even greater harm to working families, children, students, and seniors. These dangerous cuts will shift huge costs to state governments and almost certainly push financially troubled states to eliminate coverage for many low-income people, increasing the number of uninsured and underinsured Americans. At the same time, it calls for a continuation of tax cuts that primarily favor the wealthy.

Instead of cutting budgets and tax breaks, Congress should increase investments to deliver vital public services, rebuild the Gulf Coast, and expand job opportunities and training. If Congress is truly concerned about rising deficits, then it should take swift action to reconsider the unsustainable tax cuts that were already passed. Now is the wrong time to increase tax breaks for the richest Americans and cut vital services for everyone else.

Please vote against any amendment to increase the size of the budget cuts. Thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,

Charles M. Loveless
Director of Legislation

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