SALT's Federal Legislative Priorities

 

Poverty fell overall in 2020 as result of massive stimulus checks and unemployment aid, Census Bureau says

The official rate rose slightly to 11.4%, but the agency says that after accounting for pandemic relief aid, the poverty rate fell to 9.1%. The uninsured population also rose slightly.


Here’s what’s been proposed by the Biden Administration and what corporate lobbyists are fighting to defeat:

  • Raise the corporate tax rate on the biggest companies in America

  • Raise the tax on corporate offshore profits

  • Impose a 15% minimum tax to ensure profit-making companies aren’t paying zero

  • Stop companies from basing headquarters overseas merely to avoid paying US taxes

  • Raise the capital gains tax on the wealthiest and increase taxes on inherited wealth

  • Increase IRS enforcement so that the wealthy can’t engage in tax dodging

  • Help pay for Medicare improvements by making the wealthiest contribute more

  • Impose taxes on fossil fuel companies while ending fossil fuel subsidies

  • Increase the top marginal tax rate, which affects only families that have joint incomes over $650k

When you add it all up, you’ve got at least $3.5 trillion in revenue.


Here’s how we’ll invest that money in our future:

  • Medicare expansion -- including dental, hearing and vision

  • Medicaid expansion

  • Paid leave

  • Continue the child tax credit

  • Home and community based care services

  • Affordable housing

  • Build and improve schools

  • Child care

  • Child nutrition

  • Free community college

  • Labor enforcement to help increase unionized workplaces

  • Climate -- clean electricity standard, weatherizing old structures, a host of energy efficiency investments, preserving forests and mitigating droughts, the creation of a climate civilian corps

  • Immigration investments for dreamers, DACA recipients, pathway to citizenship, those who hold temporary protected status, farmworkers and other essential workers

Unfortunately, corporate Democrats are threatening to cut this bill down significantly. And with the House expected to vote soon, there’s no time to waste.


Federal Priorities

 

SALT's Federal Legislative Priorities.

Stand United with the Human Needs Community

CoalitionSALT has signed the SAVE for All statement of principles.

When the next Congress is sworn in, we know that there will be at least 56 new members. It is imperative that we show them and returning members that the human needs community is unified in our vocal commitment to advocate for a stronger America that actively ensures the well-being of all of our people.

It’s called SAVE for All, which stands for Strengthening America’s Values and Economy for All.

SAVE for All has four principles:

  • Protect Low-Income and Vulnerable Populations.
  • Promote Job Creation and Strengthen the Economy for All.
  • Increase Revenues from Fair Sources.
  • Seek Responsible Savings from Wasteful Spending in the Pentagon and Elsewhere.

Read the full statement of principles here.

We’re calling on all organizations concerned about meeting human needs to show their support for these principles. We want service providers, religious congregations and other faith groups, civil rights groups, labor organizations, businesses, local advocacy groups, professional associations, and so many more to join us in telling Congress that our priorities must not be ignored and should be high on its agenda.

Please sign on to the SAVE principles using this form.

Please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.

Once you have signed, please send this form out to your networks and encourage them to sign their organizations on too!

Thank you for your support,

The CHN Team

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Coalition on Human Needs
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 312
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-223-2532
For more information please go to www.chn.org
Connect with CHN!

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NETWORK
For complete and updated information on federal legislative social & economic justice issues please make contact with NETWORK by following this Link to be informed and updated: Here’s the Link to NETWORK’S new action center on federal policy: www.networklobby.org/act

   Mission

NETWORK — a Catholic leader in the national movement for justice and peace — educates, organizes and lobbies for economic and social transformation. Mission & “About Us”: www.networklobby.org/about-us

Sr. Simone Campbell, Executive Director
NETWORK Lobby & Education
202-347-9797
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @NETWORKLobby
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Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty  
For complete and updated information on the death penalty and Restorative Justice please make contact with Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty in Virginia by following this Link to be informed and updated:    http://catholicsmobilizing.org/virginia/.

   Mission

Welcome!
¡Bienvenidos!
The Catholic Mobilizing Network supports Catholic institutions and organizations in their efforts to end the use of the death penalty in the United States, and in initiatives promoting restorative justice. 

 

Karen Clifton, Director This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Megan M Ward, Director of State Networks
megan@catholicsmoorgbilizing.

 

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SALT joins the Igation Volunteers (IVC), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Rural Life, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in advocating for these policies: "American policies should provide for poor and hungry people here and abroad, offer effective support for those who grow our food, ensure fairness to family farmers and ranchers while building up rural communities, and promote good stewardship of the land."

Farm Bill Principles Letter Senate House

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Proposals to strengthen our commitment to children and families.

Our priorities include priorities to help poor and low-income families lift themselves into the middle class. Together their impact is greater than any of them could have alone.

Proposals on community college, child care, paid leave, and tax credits addressing poverty recognizes the importance of supporting both parents and children. These policies link the well-being of parents to children’s physical, and economic well-being. The focus on the following initiatives is directly responsive to the needs of today’s struggling families

1. Middle class tax relief. Propose to help the middle class through tax credits for working families, paying for college, and tripling the child care tax credit. The presidents plan pays for this by raising taxes on big banks, the top 1 percent and by eliminating loopholes, which currently allows the wealthiest among us to avoid paying taxes.  While the cost of living increased, from 2000 to 2012, incomes remained stagnant.

2. Free community college. Raising taxes on the top 1 percent and Wall Street would also pay for “America’s College Promise,” the President’s plan to eliminate tuition for 2 years of community college.  Being able to earn half of a bachelor’s degree tuition-free would be a lifeline for low- and middle-income students.

3. Expand paid family leave. Propose expanding paid family leave to workers for up to six weeks as well as requiring that workers be allowed to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave. Only 12 percent of workers have access to paid family leave  to care for a new child or seriously ill family member, and fewer than 40 percent have access to personal medical leave.

4. Broaden child care programs. In addition to expanding the child care tax credit, there is a need to access to high-quality, affordable child care programs and increase Head Start funding. Only a handful of the 42 million women living on the brink of poverty and raising 28 million children have access to high-quality, affordable child care.

5. Strengthen the Voting Rights Act. Propose ways to strengthen the Voting Rights Act, following the Supreme Court gutting preclearance, a key tool in ensuring that everyone has the right to vote.

6. Standardize apprenticeship programs. Propose ways to standardize apprenticeship programs that remain a gateway for workers to gain the skills they need to join the middle class.

7. Reform the criminal justice system. Propose ways to reform the criminal justice system to restore rights of persons with records and to improve reentry programs that reduce recidivism and support reuniting with their family.

8. Reforming subsidies. Propose ways to cut corporate subsidies and close loopholes.

9. Income inequality. This, of course, is a big one — a central theme that supports many of the policies above.

We applaud this vision that offers a ladder up for hard-working poor and low-income families by addressing the needs of both children and their parents.  Achieving the American dream by helping struggling hard-working families improve their skills, take care of their children, and better their and their children’s prospects ought to be something we can all agree on.  It’s the right package at the right time.

Republican leaders have said that one of their first acts will be an attempt to repeal the new healthcare law, and they will likely keep trying to dismantle the law as the year goes on. They also promise to cut government spending. Democratic leaders continue to say they will focus on the economy and jobs.

SALT opposes any legislation that weakens the commitment to affordable healthcare for all, and we will advocate for adequate funding for programs that help those who are struggling to find jobs, homes, food, and enough income to provide for their families. We’ll keep you informed.

SALT proposes to strengthen the nation’s nutrition safety net for the many Americans who continue to struggle with hunger, lost jobs, and reduced wages. Chief among his proposals are: restoration of cuts to SNAP (food stamps) benefits made in the 2010 child nutrition bill and scheduled to take place in FY 2013; and the suspension for a fiscal year of time limits on benefits for certain unemployed, working-age, low-income adults without dependents.

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DID YOU KNOW… The wealthiest 1% of our population own more than 90% of us combined. The wealthiest 10% of our popuhas less than ten cents of wealth for every dollar of wealth owned by the median white family. (These statistics and more appear in NETWORK'S Mind the Gap! blog [6].)

Many of us may know that there is a large and growing wealth gap between a tiny fringe of super-rich Americans and most of the rest of us. But how many realize that this gap robs all of us? And that doesn’t mean just financially. It helps keep people in poverty, erodes the middle class, and results in a decline in numerous measures of our nation's wellbeing, as is shown in recent research.  

In response, we are called by our faith to be justice-seekers – to help ensure that the basic human needs of all people are met and that our government truly serves the common good. Do you want to learn more? Join NETWORK's Mind the Gap! campaign to educate about our huge and widening wealth gap, where it came from, and its impact on all of us. This campaign is a joint project of NETWORK and NETWORK Education Program. Feel free to email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

“The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner … Economic activity . . . needs to be directed towards the pursuit of the common good, for which the political community in particular must also take responsibility.”

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Senate Legislative Priorities

SALT support a three-point legislative plan (championed by the Brady Campaign) to address gun violence. Please make calls to Senators Warner and Kaine asking them to support this plan. Details below.

1. SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO EXPAND BRADY BACKGROUND CHECKS.
Ask your Senators to support and co-sponsor S.2009 introduced by Sen. Murphy (D-CT) a comprehensive bill, the “Background Check Expansion Act,” which would expand Brady background checks to virtually all gun sales in the U.S. including internet, gun shows and private sales.

2. SUPPORT EXTREME-RISK PROTECTIVE ORDER LEGISLATION (ERPO).
Sometimes called Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs), an ERPO law could have prevented the Parkland massacre by allowing law enforcement to remove the killer’s arsenal of guns. S. 1212,”The Gun Violence Restraining Act” introduced by Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) would expand funding for ERPOs nationwide. Please ask your Senators to co-sponsor S.1212.

3. SUPPORT AND CO-SPONSOR LEGISLATION BANNING ASSAULT WEAPONS.
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) introduced S. 2095, the “Assault Weapons Ban of 2017.” It would ban the sale, manufacture, transfer and importation of 200 military-style assault weapons. Senator Kaine has already co-sponsored this legislation but Senator Warner has not. Please call him and ask him to show leadership by co-sponsoring this legislation.

Here is a suggested script:

Hi, my name is (YOUR NAME) and I live in (YOUR STATE). Senator Schumer has introduced a plan to support three common sense gun laws. I support that plan. It will expand Brady background checks to all gun sales, ban assault weapons, and expand funding for extreme risk laws. I ask that you support this package of bills today. I will be watching. Thank you

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Supporting Transitional Assistance for Drug Offenders

TANF Welfare Ban Opt Out:  The Issue.  Since the 1996 Welfare Reform Act , anyone convicted of a drug felony has been banned from ever receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), also known as Welfare, or Food Stamps.  States have the option to opt-out of or modify this lifetime ban, but many have not.  To date, 15 states have maintained the federal ban, and 23 have modified the ban in some way, such as lifting it for food stamps but maintaining the lifetime ban on TANF benefits, or only applying it to specific drug felonies.

While we do not support drug use and understand why the federal government is concerned about the sale, distribution and use of illicit drugs, we feel very strongly that those who have already been punished for a crime and have served their time in prison must have assistance in reentering society.  TANF and Food Stamps offer badly needed assistance to those who are trying to begin a new life, and they should be made available to all those who need them.

v Many people do not come out of prison "job-ready," and require substance abuse treatment, education, or job training before they can find sufficient employment.  TANF and food stamps help them during this critical time.

v While it is true that the children of felons can still receive TANF and food stamps, these usually go towards helping with family costs, and the children and parents will be better served if assistance is given to each member of the family.  Family support is crucial in stopping recidivism rates, and the government should make every effort to make it easier for families to stay together, rather than making the returning parent a burden.

v No other kind of felon is prohibited from receiving TANF or Food Stamps after incarceration.  All those who have paid their debt to society and been punished for their crime should be allowed the same opportunity to rebuild their lives.

v Those who are reentering society are badly in need of services in order to prevent recidivism. According to a 2006 Zogby poll, over 70% of Americans believe that there should be state funded rehabilitative services available to prisoners both during and after incarceration.  TANF and food stamps provide badly needed basic services and valuable nutrition during a former prisoners' most vulnerable time.

Recommendations.

We urge Congress to remove the lifetime ban on TANF and Food Stamps for those who have been convicted of a drug felony. This unfairly puts a lifetime punishment on one class of criminal, an increases recidivism by making it more difficult for prisoners to access services and provide for their families when they leave prison. Providing these services will support families, decrease recidivism, and provide assistance to those trying to rebuild their lives.  

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The Issue--TANF Reauthorization:  The 1996 Welfare Reform Act introduced many changes to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), also known as Welfare.  Among them, the money for TANF has been dispersed to states in block grants, with significant flexibility given to states in how much they give in TANF benefits, and how much of the money can be diverted to programs intended to help current and former TANF recipients.  Unfortunately, with too few controls or guidelines on how TANF programming money can be used, states have grown dependent on TANF funds to balance their own budgets, using them for "everything under the sun," as Welfare Reform architect Ron Haskins put it. This means there is too little available for needy families, those TANF is meant to benefit.

v Since 1996, Virginia's TANF caseload has decreased by 54%, but VA families have only seen one increase in TANF benefits.  Instead, almost $20 million from the block grant goes to "TANF programming," social service programs previously funded by the Virginia General Fund.

v In July 1998, the Wisconsin Budget Director sent a memo to all agency heads asking them to identify programs wherein TANF funds could replace state general funds.  Starting in FY 1998, nearly the full Social Service Block Grant was used to replace state spending, not to expand program operations.

v In FY 01/002 Texas used $162 million in TANF funds to replace state spending.

v According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "there is no obligation to direct supplanted state funds to low-income families," and in many cases these state funds simply disappear, or are redirected towards other programs.

Recommendations:

v Funding benefits and the VIEW program for TANF recipients must be the priority for the TANF program. Virginia-and other states-should be required to bring benefits up to the minimum poverty line before money can be used for other programs.

v Surplus funds should be given to programs in a targeted manner, and steps should be taken to ensure that these are given to programs that specifically serve current and recent TANF recipients.

v Funds dispersed through TANF programming grants and transferred to the Child Care Development Fund and Social Service Block Grants should be dispersed through a competitive process. Currently, they are dispersed based on the discretion of the General Assembly, leading to critical gaps in program and geographic needs.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact John Horejsi, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Living Wage

Congress raised the federal minimum wage, to take effect over a two year period which began on July 24, 2007. This is still far from a living wage for families in most parts of the nation. Legislation is needed to raise the base and index the amount.

For more information send email to John Horejsi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.