National NOW Times >> Winter 05-06  >> Article

Legislative Update

By Jan Erickson, Director of NOW Foundation Programs

Republicans Exploit Katrina Tragedy

In a shameless effort to capitalize on tragedy, the Republican leadership in October pushed for several fast-tracked budget bills that would cut many important domestic programs (Medicaid, food stamps, housing assistance, nutrition, child welfare services, unemployment assistance, child welfare, child support enforcement, student loans and many education programs, among others) and further extend tax breaks primarily benefiting corporations and the well-to-do. They requested about $50 billion in mandatory spending cuts, along with as much as $90 billion in extending tax breaks for big business and the wealthy.

The budget cutters' rationale is that additional federal funding has to be found for an expected $150 billion in hurricane recovery and reconstruction costs. So far, the Republican leadership has been unwilling to allow existing tax cuts to expire in order to produce that additional revenue. A massive outcry from progressives, bolstered by nervous Republicans from the affected states, concerned about how it would look that Congress is cutting human needs for the poor while preserving tax cuts, forced the leadership to temporarily pull back from a floor vote.

In reality, very little of the billions squeezed out of domestic programs will end up helping Katrina and Rita survivors; most will just cover the loss of revenue from huge tax breaks. As of mid-October, about $70 billion had been spent on rescue and recovery for those areas. Compare this to the $90 billion Republicans are currently requesting in the form of extended tax breaks, instead of spending those funds on rebuilding the Gulf.

A study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that 56 percent of all New Orleans families with children are headed by women, and that four in 10 of these families are poor. The large proportion of low-income hurricane survivors means many types of assistance are needed, such as rent subsidies, extended Medicaid coverage, job training, unemployment assistance, child care and temporary cash assistance.

NOW and the National Council of Women's Organizations organized a briefing in the Senate on Oct. 24 that examined in detail the ways that low-income women suffer the destructive forces of dislocation, living in temporary housing, having fewer job skills, literacy challenges, the loss of safety net benefits, and the disruption of informal support networks, and how those specific needs could be met.

Drowning Government in the Bathtub

The House Republican Study Committee, a group composed of 100 of the most right-wing members of the House, issued its report in late September calling for $950 billion in spending cuts over the next 10 years. Predictably, their cuts target health care, education and environmental protection programs; and they would completely eliminate Legal Services, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The hit list embodies right-wing ideologue Grover Norquist's dream of being able to shrink the government so small that you can "drown it in the bathtub."

Medicaid Could be Doomed

Medicaid could be cut by $7.6 billion in the Senate, with some of that amount to be reinvested in coverage for hurricane survivors. The House committee has proposed a cut of more than $14 billion. What is even more appalling is the Republicans' firm commitment to scale back federal Medicaid spending by as much as $250 billion over ten years. Their theory is that states could cover more of the health care costs for poor families. Currently the federal government provides between 50 and 76 percent of this important safety net for poor families, the unemployed, disabled persons and impoverished seniors. Almost three quarters of adult Medicaid beneficiaries are women, and it is the largest source of public funding for family planning services.

Title X Family Planning Funds in Trouble

The Republican Study Committee also suggested slashing Title X national family planning programs by one-third — $1.3 billion over 10 years. Funding for family planning has remained fairly flat over the last decade and, as a result, the program has become more seriously underfunded each year — currently meeting just a fraction of the need. Proposed 2006 appropriations are the same as last year's: $286 million. By contrast, Community-based Abstinence Education — one of at least three streams of unproven abstinence-only funding — will receive about $115 million for —06.

Pharmacists' Refusals Countered

Reproductive rights opponents in Congress are challenging state efforts to require pharmacists to fill prescriptions for birth control and emergency contraception. So much for "states' rights." Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich issued an emergency order earlier this year requiring pharmacies to accept and fill prescriptions for contraception "without delay." Pharmacists' refusals are part of an extensive anti-birth control campaign by extremist religious groups; more than180 reports have surfaced in at least 11 states over the last few years.

Some 14 states have recently considered so-called "conscience clauses" that would permit pharmacists to deny filling prescriptions, while four states (Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and South Dakota) have adopted such laws. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) have introduced legislation (S.809/H.R.1652) to require pharmacies to either fill these prescriptions immediately or forward them directly to other pharmacies.

VAWA Reauthorization Held Up

The House and Senate bills (S. 1197/ H.RE. 3402) were passed in early October to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which had expired on September 30, but by early November the two bills still had not been reconciled by a conference committee or signed by the president. The House version is a bare-bones bill that eliminated key provisions advocated by NOW and the National Network to End Domestic and Sexual Violence Against Women. These included provisions focusing on the special needs of women of color and also addressed violence against women in the workplace. An effort to defeat the stripped-down version in the House lost 191-225; a more comprehensive bill containing all these important provisions, H.R. 3171, sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and 131 members, was not taken up. One amendment to VAWA, offered by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) to correct the Department of Justice's National Protocol to include information about emergency contraception for rape survivors was rejected. The final bill passed the House 415-4.

The Senate version narrows a controversial section that would have directed law enforcement agencies to create a database of DNA samples from anyone who is arrested or detained on federal charges — even if they have not been convicted. The Senate changes would allow persons who are not charged, or who are acquitted, to have their DNA information removed from the database.

Welfare Funding Extended

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program was extended to Dec. 31. This temporary extension was the 11th for the program, which has been facing reauthorization for several years while the Senate and House have been unable to agree on a bill. Several provisions in that legislation (H.R. 3672) provided relief from certain deadlines for hurricane survivors in the welfare-to-work process under TANF. Additionally, H.R. 3672 provides modest resources for states to help with short-term hurricane assistance, but there is still a need for ongoing income assistance, child care and other services. H.R. 1716, sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and ranking member Max Baucus (D- Mont.) would respond to those longer-term needs, but is being actively opposed by the "compassionate conservatives" in the White House.

A District of Columbia appropriations bill (S. 1446) became the vehicle to introduce a new variation for inducing poor women to get married. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) proposes the establishment of Marriage Development Accounts that would provide matching grants to low-income couples who put aside savings to buy a house, pay tuition or start a business. Needless to say, the persons most in need of assistance — low-income divorced, widowed and single parents — would not be eligible. NOW, Legal Momentum and other groups have objected to this discriminatory proposal, noting again the government intrusion upon private, personal decisions and the risk of domestic violence.

Other News

Trafficking Protocol — The Senate approved the ratification of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which supplements the United Nations' Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. The protocol, signed by 40 nations, went into force in December 2003.

Working Women Data Defended — NOW joined many groups in calling on Congress to mandate the collection of data on working women, which was discontinued by the Department of Labor (DoL) in August. Legislation is pending that would require the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the DoL, to begin collecting the data again.

UNFPA Funds Blocked Again — The Bush administration told Congress in September that for the fourth year in a row they will withhold the U.S. contribution of $34 million to the United Nations Population Fund, which promotes gender equality and reproductive health among women and girls.