Oppose Budget Balanced on Backs of Poor People

Today the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives started debating their 2016 budget resolutions. Votes on these budgets will determine anti-hunger policy for the rest of this year and beyond.

If passed, the proposed budget cuts could lead to devastating increases in hunger and poverty in the U.S. and abroad. For example:

• The House budget proposal drastically cuts SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program) by at least 34 percent, the equivalent of up to 220 missed meals annually for each SNAP participant.
• Both budget plans would repeal the Affordable Care Act and block grant Medicaid, making deep cuts to health coverage for low-income people.
• Lifesaving international programs would be cut by 16 percent in the House budget. Funding for our international humanitarian aid budget has already been cut by 22 percent – we can’t afford any further cuts.
• Sixty-nine percent of the budget cuts in both the House and Senate come directly from programs impacting low-income people – placing the burden on those who are already suffering.
• Both House and Senate budgets allow to expire critical tax relief for the poorest workers, through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), plunging 16 million people, including 8 million children, into deeper poverty.
• Both budgets keep the automatics budget cuts of 2011 (called sequestration) in place – and cut even further. This puts programs like WIC, food aid, and poverty focused development assistance in grave danger.  

Raise your voice with thousands of faithful advocates. Call your Senators and Representative at (800) 826-3688 in the next 24 hours. Urge them to oppose cuts to programs that are working to end hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world.

For more information on proposed budget cuts to programs that serve the most vulnerable people, visit our blog.

* Many thanks to Bread for the World for use of their 800-number and permission to reprint an excerpt of their action alert.

J. Herbert Nelson speaks on SCOTUS and Health Care

This morning, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in King v. Burwell. This case could take away access to health care for 8 million people and cause premiums to spike for millions more. A decision in favor of the petitioner, King, could eliminate tax credits to buy health coverage through the Affordable Care Act in approximately three dozen states. The resulting chaos would wreak havoc on the health care system, placing the most vulnerable people in our communities at risk.

The Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, PC(USA) Director for Public Witness, joined with several other faith leaders, patients, families, nurses, doctors, healthcare providers, and other allies to support health care subsides for millions of people in the U.S. and to affirm that health care is a human right, an essential component of human dignity and just community.

Nelson said, "We advocate so vigorously for affordable health care, because we know that sickness in public places is a barrier to building community."

To read the press statement about this morning's events, click here. 

Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II in support of accessible healthcare for all, along with fellow heads of faith offices, Rabbi Lori Koffman (National Council of Jewish Women), Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe (United Method Church), Dr. Sayyid Syeed (Islamic Society of North America), Sandy Sorenson (United Church of Christ), and Sr. Simone Campbell (NETWORK).

J. Herbert Nelson's remarks, as prepared:

Benevolent, Beneficent, and Bountiful Creator, we humble ourselves before You as we ask that our prayers be heard and answered. We come before you as Ecumenical and Interfaith religious leaders appealing for guidance that only you can give. As we stand with millions of people today who could lose their health insurance by a ruling of this Supreme Court of our country, we petition You to exercise Your Supreme Authority that calls us here today to stand for the least of these among us.

We all can attest that in your mercy, you have reached down and provided a balm of healing amid our need. Therefore, our presence here today is a reminder to others that you are still in the business of hope and healing. Therefore, our advocacy for affordable healthcare is an affirmation of your Sovereign love for all of humanity.

We pray in the name of the Sovereign Creator, who chooses love over the law while giving grace in all things. Amen

Good morning. I am Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, Director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly has supported legislative efforts for affordable healthcare in Washington, DC for more than sixty years. They approved a resolution for advocacy on behalf of the uninsured. Despite our historic advocacy for a single payer system, we were excited in 2010 when the United States Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. We felt a move one stop closer to our nation realizing that the scriptures that we follow calls each of us to care for the least of these among us.

We advocate so vigorously for affordable healthcare, because we know that sickness in public places is a barrier to building community. Jesus teaches us through many biblical encounters that healing provides stability to the body; wholeness to the mind; and sustenance to the Spirit. When people are walking around unstable; lacking mental clarity and Spiritually disconnected it impacts households, institutions and whole communities.

In my travels, I have heard the testimonies of self employed professionals who are thankful that their premiums are significantly lower, because their pre-existing conditions are no longer held against them. On the other hand, I have heard from the poor who work every day and could not previously afford insurance for themselves or their children, giving thanks for the opportunity to know that they did not have to go to work sick or send their children to school while self diagnosing their conditions, because they could now afford a doctor’s care. When sick people are all around us, who cannot afford a balm of healing, we all are impacted.

I know these judges are deliberating over interpretations of the law, but let’s cut to the chase. This is an issue of national security, because my faith tells me that righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34a). This court has an opportunity to render a supreme judgment if they can recognize in their deliberations that highest law that they can render is one that is based in love.

Let affordable healthcare remain affordable for the estimated 8 million persons who stand to lose their insurance.

###

Giving Health Reform a Chance to Work: An Unbound Publication

Giving Health Reform a Chance to Work: 

Increasing Access to Health and Wellness

By Leslie Woods

This article was published by Justice Unbound as part of a three week-long series on health care.  See this week's articles here.

While most of the recent coverage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” has been negative, these news stories fail to tell a complete story. There is no doubt the Obama Administration has made some serious errors in the rollout and initial implementation of Obamacare. Nevertheless, the ACA has already made a huge difference in the lives of people who now have access to health coverage due to important changes in the health care law. And now, in the final months of the first open enrollment session of the new exchanges, even more people will see better – and hopefully less expensive – access to coverage.

Why does the Church care about Obamacare?

For more than 60 years, Presbyterian General Assemblies have been calling for reform of the U.S. health system, urging the establishment of a national medical plan that will ensure universal health coverage for all persons residing in the United States. In 1988, the Assembly wrote, “Jesus’ command to love our neighbor requires persons with plentiful health resources both to comprehend the condition of those persons without basic health care and to share the means to health.” In other words, it is our collective responsibility as a community, and as a nation, to make sure that all people have access to the means to good health – that is, access to quality, affordable, comprehensive health coverage. 

As yesterday’s article pointed out, the PC(USA) has supported the implementation of a national medical plan, or a single-payer system (i.e. Medicare for all) for many years, and the ACA still falls short of this ideal. However, as the Office of Public Witness engaged in the health care reform debate in 2009-10, we saw some significant opportunities. To be sure, we encountered some disappointments and missed opportunities, but we also witnessed some important steps toward increasing access to health coverage, especially for low-income families and adults without children. We saw sensible, preventative services and wellness care become available for millions of people who previously could only access health services through the Emergency Room.

We also saw many more opportunities to make reforms that move us in the right direction. Certainly, the PC(USA)’s long-standing commitment to health, wellness, and universality of coverage would have moved us away from the intervention of private, for-profit insurance companies, had that been a political possibility. However, decades of Presbyterian witness lead us to believe that the ACA is making improvements. Furthermore, we urge its critics give it a chance to work.

So, what does the ACA do?

Well, right now, and most in the public eye, the new “exchanges” have gone live, and Americans are purchasing health insurance, many with the aid of need-based subsidies from the federal government. Despite a botched initial rollout, many anecdotes suggest that people are now having positive experiences using healthcare.gov or their own states’ systems. So far, 3.3 million people have used the exchange to obtain coverage, and the enrollment period has not yet ended. Enroll America has some great resources, as well as a subsidy calculator, and of course, healthcare.gov is the place to go to enroll.

But insurance has never really been the faith community’s concern. As the PC(USA) and its partners have engaged the health care debate, our primary and immediate concern has always been people – their health, their care, and the shalom that God intends for all of us. Access to health insurance is a means to an end, and that “end” is making sure that more people can live healthy, whole, safe lives, free from the fear that the next illness will mean not only personal tragedy but also bankruptcy.

Ultimately, our concern has been people’s access to care. And despite its shortcomings, the ACA’s reforms are making health care more accessible for more people.

Certain reforms went into effect even before the new exchange launch that has been making headlines. In many ways, what seem like the small changes have been some of the greatest accomplishments of this law. For example:

• Young adults may now stay on their parents’ health plan up to the age of 26, regardless of being a student, residence, or martial status.
• Insurers may no longer discriminate against children with pre-existing conditions, and starting in 2014, adults have the same protections.
•  Women can no longer be charged higher coverage rates due to their gender or health status.
•  Insurance companies can no longer cancel coverage when someone becomes sick or because of an unintentional mistake, nor can insurers limit the amount of care for essential health benefits in a lifetime.

Some of the more substantial changes have also turned out to be huge victories:

• States have the option to expand Medicaid benefits to individuals and families who have incomes less than 133% of the federal poverty level.

o   This is crucial, as many low-income people, especially those without children, have no access to health coverage at all. 

o   To date, six million people have gained access to health coverage through Medicaid expansion.

o   Twenty-three states have elected to expand Medicaid coverage (with four additional states implementing alternative expansions).

o   Campaigns are ongoing in many of the remaining states to urge state legislatures to take action.

• Older adults receive a 52% discount on covered medications while in the Medicare Part D prescription coverage “donut hole,” and the donut hole will close in 2020.
• All standard insurance plans will now cover preventative health services like check-ups, vaccinations, and cancer screenings without a copay or deductible.
• Private insurance plans are now required to cover essential services like maternity and newborn care, pediatric services including dental and vision, mental health and substance abuse treatment, prescription drugs, lab work, rehabilitative and habilitative services, emergency care, and hospitalization.

This may be a long list of wonky policy changes, but they all boil down to one thing – access to more care for more people.

Where do we go from here?

There is no question – this is not the final chapter in health care reform. Many new reforms and policy changes are still required to improve access and quality, to reduce costs, and most importantly, to make sure that all people living in this nation have access to the care they need to live healthy, whole lives. For those who were disappointed that the ACA was not a single-payer system, or even that it did not include a public option, take heart. We know from experience that the implementation of major new government programs will inevitably lead to more discussion, tweaks, improvements, and ongoing policy debates. The conversation will continue. After we’ve lived into the new current system, we’ll have to figure out how to improve it… again.

Sabrina Slater, Intern for Public Witness, contributed to this article.

Click here for the rest of this week's Unbound articles on Health Care.

Author Bios:

Leslie Woods has served as Representative for Domestic Poverty and Environmental Issues for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW) since January 2007.  In this capacity, she advocates on behalf of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on matters related to economic inequality, poverty, hunger, health, human needs, federal budget, climate change, energy and other environmental issues. She also coordinates the Internship and Fellowship programs for Public Witness Programs, the OPW’s service learning opportunities for young adults. Leslie holds a Master of Arts in Religion with a concentration in Hebrew Bible, magna cum laude, from Yale Divinity School and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and French, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Randolph-Macon College. Leslie is the proud mother of two little boys – Daniel and Joshua.


Sabrina Slater currently serves as an intern for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness.  Currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Sabrina is interning while spending a semester in DC with the National Capital Semester for Seminarians program hosted at Wesley Theological Seminary.  Her advocacy focus includes domestic poverty, the relationship between poverty and violence, human trafficking, women and relationship violence.  Having enjoyed a career in higher education prior to beginning the ordination process  Sabrina is committed to honest dialogue and hearing peoples' voices and stories.  Sabrina holds a Master's in Education with focus on general and special education from Wagner College and a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science and Health & Human Development from Lehigh University. 

Post-Shutdown Legislative Update

Grassroots call: A Path for Post-Shutdown Advocacy

Presented by the Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs

Oct. 25, 2013

Legislative Update Remarks, as prepared:

Hi Everyone.  My name is Leslie Woods and I serve in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness. 

I'm going to quickly speak about the budget deal Congress passed last week to open up the government and prevent default on the national debt.

Last week, after 16 days of a government shutdown and one day before potential U.S. default, Congress passed H.R. 2775, which reopened the government and raised the debt ceiling. The Senate passed the bill 81-18, and the House passed it 285-144. All of the House Democrats and 87 Republicans voted for the bill.  It was a bipartisan vote in both chambers.

So first, it's worth noting what was not in the deal. The deal did not defund the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The deal did not delay the Affordable Care Act. The deal did not have any spending cuts included as a condition for raising the debt ceiling. These were mostly clean extensions of government spending and a debt ceiling increase. That said, preventing a Congressionally created economic catastrophe is not exactly all that worthy of celebration; but it is important.

So, what was in the deal? The deal mostly sets up a new set of deadlines for Congress to reach the next deal. The legislation passed last week funds the government at current levels through January 15, 2014, and raises the debt ceiling through February 7, 2014, but Congress won't have to raise the debt ceiling again until March or even later because the Treasury can use extraordinary measures, as it did in this most recent situation, to buy more time. The bill also included language on income verification for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

And while not written into the legislation, the deal also created a budget conference committee to negotiate a budget for the remainder of the 2014 fiscal year and to address sequestration, which is Washington-speak for the across-the-board spending cuts we’ve been living with this year.  This Committee must report back to Congress with a budget framework by December 13.

The committee includes the following members in the House: Paul Ryan (R-WI-1), Tom Cole (R-OK-4), Tom Price (R-GA-6), Diane Black (R-TN-6), James Clyburn (D-SC-6), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD-8), and Nita Lowey (D-NY-17).

The Senate appointees are the entire budget committee: Murray (D-WA), Wyden (D-OR), Nelson (D-FL), Stabenow (D-MI), Sanders (I-VT), Whitehouse (D-RI), Warner (D-VA), Merkley (D-OR), Coons (D-DE), Baldwin (D-WI), Kaine (D-VA), King (I-ME), Sessions (R-AL), Grassley (R-IA), Enzi (R-WY), Crapo (R-ID), Graham (R-SC), Portman (R-OH), Toomey (R-PA), Johnson (R-WI), Ayotte (R-NH), and Wicker (R-MS).

This round of budget talks could play out in one of three ways.

First, the committee could emerge with a big, multi-trillion dollar, decade-long budget deal and succeed where all previous bipartisan commissions, groups, and committees have failed. If you think this sounds optimistic, you’re instincts are good. This would be a very heavy lift and probably the least likely outcome.

In the second scenario, the committee could come up with a smaller deal that resolves the overall funding level for fiscal year 2014 and replaces some or all of the sequester for one, or even two, years. If this happens, there are two issues to keep an eye on: the overall funding level and the makeup of any package that replaces sequestration. The overall size of the budget they agree on will determine the amount of funding available for international poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance programs, WIC, Head Start, and all the other anti-hunger and poverty discretionary programs. If the committee comes up with a plan to replace sequestration, we will be watching to see if it is a balanced fix that includes new revenues and protects important anti-poverty programs, such as SNAP and Medicaid.

Finally, the committee could emerge with no deal. At that point, Congress will have until Jan. 15 to prevent another shutdown and potentially address sequestration.

We must continue to urge members of Congress to pass a faithful budget that adequately funds programs that combat hunger and poverty, and replace sequestration with a balanced plan. Your work on this and faithfulness in creating a drumbeat demanding just and compassionate budget solutions is extremely important, especially in the next few weeks.

Thanks.  That's all I have, so I'll pass it back to Amelia.