State and Local Fiscal Relief
Across the country, states are planning huge cuts in health care, education, public safety and aid to local governments. Millions of aging and disabled individuals and children could lose their health care coverage if Congress does not act now.
On Friday, November 14, 2008, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) wrote to Republican Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling on him to reconsider supporting comprehensive legislation to help reinvigorate the economy, which Senate Republicans blocked in September. Read the letter.
In September, the House passed an economic recovery package which would have provided states in fiscal crisis with needed aid but Senate Republicans blocked a similar bill and President Bush threatened to veto both bills. The bills would have helped stabilize state budgets, spurred economic activity, created jobs, and maintained a basic standard of living for the millions of hard working Americans who struggle to pay the bills, feed their children and seek health care if they fall ill. (See how your Representative voted on the stimulus. See how your Senator voted on the stimulus.)
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The economy continues to deteriorate, unemployment rates are rising, wages are stagnating and the housing crisis persists. Nearly half the states are seeing new, mid-year gaps in enacted fiscal year 2009 budgets due to revenues that are dropping fast and hard. States will likely face budget gaps of around $100 billion in 2010. Congress must act now to provide temporary, targeted and timely state fiscal relief.
AFSCME letters in support of funding state and local fiscal relief:
Congressional letters in support of funding state and local fiscal relief:
Organization letters in support of funding state and local fiscal relief:
- Bipartisan National Governors Association letter in support of an economic recovery package with aid to states (October 27, 2008).
- National Sign-On letter supporting an increase in the federal Medicaid match (September 9, 2008).
- LCAO letter in support of an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (September 5, 2008).
- AFL-CIO: Executive Council Statement supporting S. 2819 and HR 5268 (August 5, 2008).
- AARP letter supporting an increase to the federal Medicaid matching rate (FMAP) (July 22, 2008).
- National Association of Counties letter supporting HR 5268 and NACo’s Resolution on state fiscal relief (July 15, 2008).
- Childrens organization sign-on letter supporting state fiscal relief through a temporary increase in federal support for state Medicaid programs (April 28, 2008).
- National Education Association letter supporting S. 2819 (April 10, 2008).
- Leadership Council of Aging Organizations sign-on letter supporting state fiscal relief through a temporary increase in federal support for state Medicaid programs (April 10, 2008).
- National Education Association letter supporting HR 5268 (April 9, 2008).
- National Governors Association policy position supporting “State Countercyclical Funding” and increasing the federal Medicaid match rate and flexible block grants for states (February 27, 2008).
- NGA’s letter supporting a $6 billion increase in Medicaid funding and $6 billion in flexible block grants to states (January 28, 2008).
McEntee Testimony to Committee on Energy and Commerce (July 22, 2008).
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