What Was Washington Thinking?

Congress, Sequestration, and Budget Standoffs

March 13, 201312:00 pm EST

• Debt Limit raised

• Budget Control Act in effect – for 10 years

• Sequester established

Aug. 2, 2011

• Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction "super committee“ failed

• Sequester mandated

Nov. 2011

Sequester set for Jan. 4,

2013

Jan. 2012

Budget Control Act is in effect

for FY2012 Budget

(caps on spending in

discretionary programs)

Oct. 1, 2011

Members try to design

alternatives to sequester

Jan. 2012 –

Dec.31.12

• Congress Fails to establish a budget

• Congress passes a Continuing Resolution to fund the government until March 4, 2013

Sept. 30, 2012

Sequester postponed until March

4, 2013

Jan.1, 2013

Sequester takes effect, across the

board cuts in most areas

Mar. 4, 2013

• House and Senate release budget resolutions

March, 2013

• Continuing Resolution for FY 2013 runs out

Mar. 27,2013

• The Debt Limit is reached, again

Spring /summer

2013???????

Budget Control Act Set CapsFY 2013 - 2021

Sequestration – Reduces the Size of the Spending Pie

But, Some People Exaggerate It

Continuing Resolution and Budgets Proposals - FY2014

– Control Spending in All These Areas, and More.

The House Budget Will Likely Be Much the Same as the Last Two – but Worse

The Budget Covers Both Spending and Income

We Purchased on a Credit Card, Now Pay the Bill – Debt Limit!

So What?

Effects of Sequestration

• 600,000 women, children and infants kicked off WIC

• 4 million fewer meals on wheels

• 70,000 children denied Head Start

• 1.2 million students dropped from K-12 education

Courtesy of the Coalition on Human Needs

Effects of Sequestration

• 75,000 workers with disabilities cut from vocational rehabilitation services

• 33,000 students denied work-study aid

• 30,000 children denied affordable child care

Courtesy of the Coalition on Human Needs

Effects of Sequestration

• Up to 125,000 families lose rental housing vouchers

• 100,000 formerly homeless people lose housing

Courtesy of the Coalition on Human Needs

Your State’s Specific Information

http://www.chn.org/background/save-state-fact-sheets/

Share your story!

http://halfinten.org/stories/submit/

Chairman Ryan’s Proposed FY ‘14 Budget:Preliminary Analysis

• Believe about 2/3 of cuts are to low-income programs.

• Drastically cuts SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid and prevents them from responding to periods of high need.

• Would leave 40-50 million more low- and moderate-income people uninsured.

• Cuts the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

• Cuts funding for non-defense appropriated programs 3 times as deep as under sequestration.

Chairwoman Murray’s Proposed FY ‘14 Budget:What we expect

• Balances spending cuts with revenue increases

• Protects SNAP (food stamps)

• Protects Medicaid

• Makes the current Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit benefits permanent

• Cuts defense spending by $240 billion

• Includes funding for infrastructure and job training

• Cuts funding for appropriated programs?

What’s the take-away?

• Get noisy about the harmful effects of sequestration

• Message: Push for Congress to replace sequestration with a balanced plan that protects poor and vulnerable populations

View from the Hill

Darrel Thompson, Deputy Chief of Staff for Majority Leader Reid

Speak Out and Take Action!

Right now, commit to do one of the following:

• Schedule a visit with your members of Congress (recess March 23 – April 7)

• Write Letters to your member of Congress

• Call your members of Congress

• Write a letter to the editor

• Hold an event and invite local media

• Share on social media

14%

19%

20%

46%

50%

53%

72%

69%

70%

51%

1%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Form e-mails

Form postalletters

Phone Calls

Individualized e-mails

Individual postalletters

Lobby visits -constituents

A Lot of Influence Some Influence

Source: Congressional Management Foundation, 2011

Key components of a letter to Congress

• Make it personal. What motivates you to write?

• Make ‘the ask’ clear. “I want you replace sequestration with a balanced plan that protects our most vulnerable.”

• Include your return address on the letter and envelope

What will it take to win ?

• Strong grassroots action!• Compelling stories• Team-work• Hope and faith

Let Us Know What You’re Doing!

• If you meet with your congressional office• If you hold an event• If you write a letter to the editor

Let us know! That way we can follow up with the office. And

you could be featured on our next webinar.

Shantha: shantha@nccendpoverty.org Marge: mclark@networklobby.org

Amelia: akegan@bread.orgRaechel: rbanks@rac.org