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Thursday July 29, 2010
Call Your U.S. Representative Today to Urge Support for the "Extenders" Jobs Bill
The bill includes critical FMAP and TANF emergency funds!
Pennsylvania’s children and families continue to need supports as we recover from the recession. As soon as this Thursday, May 20th, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a bill that extends the FMAP enhancement and TANF emergency fund, as well as unemployment benefits and COBRA, provisions from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
This bill is urgently needed to help strengthen the economic recovery and help people still struggling to find work in a difficult economy. Specifically, the bill:
1) Provides additional fiscal assistance to states struggling to balance their budgets by extending the FMAP enhancement and TANF emergency fund for one year, and
2) Renews provisions that provide extra weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) and subsidized COBRA health insurance coverage for unemployed workers to the end of the year.
Action #1: Call your Representative TODAY and tell him/her to vote for the “EXTENDERS” JOBS BILL. Click here to find out who represents you.
Action #2: Call Senators Casey and Specter to urge their support of the final “EXTENDERS” JOBS BILL, as it is expected to come up for a vote in the Senate next week.
Call today - and please forward this message to your networks and friends. Thank you!
Southeastern PA U.S. Senators:
Arlen Specter 202-224-4254
Bob Casey 202-224-6324
Southeastern PA U.S. Representatives:
Bob Brady 202-225-4731
Chaka Fattah 202-225-4001
Jim Gerlach 202-225-4315
Patrick Murphy 202-225-4276
Allyson Schwartz 202-225-6111
Joe Sestak 202-225-2011
More Info:
• The PA unemployment rate rose to 9.4% in March, 2010, with 582,000 out of work (unemployment was 4% in April, 2007). UI and COBRA extensions provide direct help to families seeking work.
• Last year’s temporary enhancement of the federal Medicaid match rate (FMAP) provided critical, additional federal funding to cover the costs of Medicaid and some child welfare services. The FMAP extension is set to expire in December, 2010.
• These measures are widely recognized as effective measures to boost economic activity and create jobs in an economy with substantial unemployment.
• The measures are strictly temporary, and will be allowed to expire once a strong and sustainable economic recovery is underway.
• Because these provisions are temporary, they do not add significantly to the long-term budget deficit. In total, the parts of the bill whose costs are not offset would increase the projected long-term budget gap (through 2050) by less than 1 percent (See: http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3188 ).
About this E-Alert
In an effort to keep our friends and colleagues up-to-date on what’s going on with children and families in our region, PCCY will, from time to time, issue an E-Alert on an issue that we need YOU to take action on!
We will: provide you with the information on the issues
We need YOU to: take the action step(s) that are listed
We hope that you will join us in helping to protect the lives and life chances of children and families in our region by doing something TODAY to help protect their tomorrows. However, if you would like to be removed from the e-mail list and receive no further updates, please send an e-mail to info@pccy.org.
* END ALERT *
President: James Martin
Executive Director: Shelly D. Yanoff
Communications Director: Sid Holmes
Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY)
1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Sixth Floor
Philadelphia, Pa 19103
Phone: 215-563-5848
Fax: 215-563-9442
Website: www.pccy.org
E-mail: info@pccy.org
Webmaster: Steven Fynes
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