Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e88DZwk13805; Fri, 8 Sep 2000 09:35:58 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2000 09:35:58 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <39B8E77A.C2E3106B@interaccess.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Aliza Becker <alzbec@interaccess.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:5013] Action Alert" Call-in Day to White House, Congress on Benefits X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win95; I) Status: O Content-Length: 5881 Lines: 189 This can be a great activity for ESOL students to participate in regardless of legal status. Aliza National Immigration Forum Date: September 7, 2000 To: Forum Associate E-mail List From: Maurice Belanger Re: National Call-in Day on Benefits Restoration Tuesday Sepetember 12th ---------------------------------------------------- [This information has also been sent by fax to Forum Associates] SAFETY-NET RESTORATION THE SUBJECT OF THE FIRST OF THREE NATIONAL CALL-IN DAYS TO GET CONGRESS TO ACT ON THE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AGENDA Congress has returned to Washington for the final weeks of this session. If pending pro-immigrant legislation is not enacted by sometime in early October, it will expire, and we will start all over next year with the drafting of new legislation. To raise the temperature in the Congress on these issues, we hope that thousands of advocates around the country will call their Senators and representative, as well as the White House, on three consecutive Tuesdays to make sure they know that their constituents care about legislation that is vitally important to the pro-immigrant community. The call-in days will reinforce other advocacy activities taking place in Washington and around the country in September. PLEASE SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE CALL-IN DAYS AS BROADLY AS POSSIBLE Over the next three weeks, we will send you materials to support the calls on benefits restoration (September 12), the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act (September 19) and due process (September 26). Materials appropriate to the subject of the week will be sent out several days before the next call-in day. A suggested script on benefits restoration, along with background information, as well as information on how to reach your representatives and the White House, follows. INFORMATION FOR SEPTEMBER 12TH CALL-IN DAY ON BENEFITS RESTORATION Please take approximately 4 minutes (60 seconds per call) on Tuesday, September 12th to phone your congressional representatives and the President to support pending legislation that will allow immigrants access to critical nutrition and health services their tax dollars go to support. CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD Call your members of Congress between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You can get the number for your Representative and both of your Senators by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. The Capitol switchboard can also help you if you aren't sure who represents you. MODEL SCRIPT Hello, my name is _______ and I live in _______ (town, neighborhood) in your district (or state if you are calling your Senators). I'm calling because I want you to make sure that Congress passes the Hunger Relief Act, H.R. 3192 (S. 1805 for Senators), and the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act, H.R. 4707 (S. 1227 for Senators), before adjourning for the year. Both of these bipartisan bills will improve the health and nutrition of our children, and will also restore some basic safety net protections to families who pay taxes and contribute to America in so many other important ways. Can I please get a letter outlining the Congressman's (woman's) position on this issue? Can you please repeat the address for me? WHITE HOUSE COMMENT LINE Then, call the White House comment line at (202) 456-1111 and press 0 to speak with an operator. Leave a message asking President Clinton to push for passage of the Hunger Relief Act and the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act. When you are finished, take a few minutes to think about who else might be willing to make calls, and forward this information to them. If you have an additional moment, we would also appreciate a brief reply to this message to let us know how your calls went. BACKGROUND The Hunger Relief Act (House bill H.R. 3192 and Senate bill S. 1805) was introduced in Congress to help low-income families put food on the table. With 161 House cosponsors and 28 Senate cosponsors (as of July 31), the bill has wide bipartisan support. The Hunger Relief Act would help reduce hunger in the United States by strengthening the Food Stamp Program and increasing funding for emergency food providers. Specifically, it would: -- Allow most low-income lawfully present qualified immigrants and their families to once again receive food stamp benefits on the same basis as citizens. -- Allow low-income people to own a reliable car and still receive food stamp benefits. -- Allow low-income people who spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing to receive food stamp benefits at a level that more accurately reflects their need. -- Increase the maximum funding level of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which distributes high-protein and high-fiber foods to soup kitchens and food banks. The Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (House bill H.R. 4707 and Senate bill S. 1227) was introduced to restore access to basic health care to lawfully present immigrant pregnant women and children. The bill, which has strong bipartisan support, would: --Eliminate all immigration status restrictions on federal reimbursement to states that provide health insurance coverage to eligible, lawfully present, pregnant women under Medicaid, and children under either Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). --Free all states to simplify their rules by providing coverage under these programs to pregnant women and children without regard to the date the immigrant came here or the particulars of her immigration status (so long as she is lawfully present). ============================== Maurice Belanger Senior Policy Associate National Immigration Forum E-Mail: mbelanger@immigrationforum.org Web: http://www.immigrationforum.org -- Aliza Becker Phone: (773) 267-0746 Fax (773) 478-5091 E-mail alzbec@interaccess.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 16 2001 - 14:45:07 EST