10/09/2005 - Federal Budget Cuts Threaten Welfare Programs
From: Kullie Mellor, Welfare Specialist, kulliejack@juno.com

During the upcoming federal budget reconciliation process (the week of Oct 17-21), there is a clear threat Congress will cut $35 billion from Medicaid and Food Stamps, low-income health care and nutrition programs, while they pass new tax cuts of $70 billion to benefit the wealthy. Action is needed immediately to ask our representatives in Washington to protect the interests of low income families and preserve the basic provgrams that are in jeopardy. Ask them not to abandon the new national awareness of poverty in America that Katrina revealed.

Backup information to bolster your position about poverty in PA:

1. 10.9% of Pennsylvanians live in poverty. PA is one of only nine
   states where poverty has recently increased.
2. 1.7 million Pennsylvanians receive health care through Medicaid
3. Over 468,000 Pennsylvania households receive Food Stamps (over one
   million members)

These programs are vital to low income PA families; the programs need
protection. This is THE strategic time to express your view to your
representative in Washington, or better yet, see your representative
during recess this week.

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