NETWORK's Legislative Update

110th Congress, 2nd Session

June 30, 2008

Congress is in recess this week, but we urge you to contact your members of Congress while they are at home, and/or send e-mails to their staff who remain in Washington, about some important things they need to attend to next week.

Calling local offices:
You can get contact information for your members’ local offices by going to http://capwiz.com/networklobby/dbq/officials/  -- enter your zip code and then click on “info” under the pictures of your senators and representative to get the contact information.

1.  Congress has a job to do: pass Appropriations bills
Tell your members of Congress to get it done

2.  Medicare Improvements Delayed in the Senate
Tell senators to support this when it comes up again

3.  Supplemental Spending Approved
Some good news for the unemployed, Medicaid recipients, veterans and Iraqi refugees

1. Congress has a job to do: pass Appropriations bills

We are grateful that the House and Senate Appropriations subcommittee budget allocations for fiscal year 2009 provide an increase in funding for domestic programs.  However, the work of bringing the subcommittee requests to the full committee in the House has been “hung up” by partisan disagreements. 

Contact your Senators and Representative. Tell them to keep the appropriations process going and get the job done. This is not a time for politics to impede necessary legislation.

You can send an e-mail via http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=11561741&type=CO

It would be good to call their local offices while they are on recess this week – see the beginning of this update for information on calling local offices.

2. Medicare Improvements Delayed in the Senate

Please contact your Senators at both their local and national offices, urging them to support H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act. The Senate failed to get enough votes to consider the bill last week, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid intends to bring it up for a vote again next week.

You can go to http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=11561536&type=CO to send an e-mail to both of your senators. The sample message may be different depending on their vote last week.

It would be good to call their local offices while they are on recess this week – see the beginning of this update for information on calling local offices. The message is: vote YES on H.R. 6331.

More information on the bill:

This bill safeguards the current reimbursement rate to Medicare physicians rather than lowering it 10.4%, thus forestalling the possibility that many physicians would be inclined to drop Medicare beneficiaries.
 
President Bush has threatened to veto H.R. 6331 because the cost of maintaining the current reimbursement to Medicare physicians is offset by cutting some bonus payments to private Medicare, the “Medicare Advantage” plans, plans which are paid at a higher level than traditional Medicare.

To override a Presidential veto, both Chambers must vote to override by a two-thirds majority. The House voted to pass H.R. 6331 by 355-59 on June 24th. The Senate vote is critical.

3. Supplemental Spending Approved

The Supplemental spending bill was passed by both the House and Senate, and was signed by President Bush this week. NETWORK is pleased that most of the provisions we advocated for are in the bill. These include funding for economic development in Iraq and Iraqi refugees, extended unemployment benefits, delay of new harmful Medicaid regulations, and funding for veterans education. Thanks to all of you who helped advocate for these programs.

Action Using the Legislative Action Center since the last Legislative Update

1718 messages on Medicare repayment rates (H.R. 6331)
  842 messages on helping Iraqi refugees
 
2705 total messages sent to Congress through the Legislative Action Center

Reflection

“It is necessary that all participate, each according to his [her] position and role, in promoting the common good. This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the human person . . . As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life”
-- Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Helpful Information
To contact Congressional offices by phone, call the Capitol Hill Switchboard number at 202-224-3121. The White House Comment line is 202-456-1414 and the Vice President's office is 202-456-2326. More contact and e-mail information for the President and Vice President is available through our Legislative Action Center.

NETWORK Members
Here's an easy way to multiply your advocacy efforts - sign up to have this page sent to you by e-mail so that you can send it on to your friends and your local or community legislative network. Send your name, the mailing address of your membership and your e-mail address to Jean Sammon, Field Organizer. See the NETWORK Membership uide for helpful how-to information for making phone calls and writing letters. If you are not a member, join us and make your voice heard on Capitol Hill!