Battle rages vs. budget cuts

WASHINGTON — The Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) denounced as a “spectacle of greed” a House vote Nov. 18 to approve $50 billion in cutbacks to food stamps, Medicaid and other vital benefits for the poor coupled with a push for $70 billion in tax cuts for millionaires.

But the House leadership had to twist arms and delay the vote late into the night to gain the razor-thin 217-215 approval of the so-called “Budget Reconciliation” bill. Ellen Teller, a grassroots organizer for the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), a group affiliated with CHN, pointed out that the Senate version of the bill is “totally irreconcilable” with the House bill. For example, the House version would terminate food stamp benefits for 300,000 people each month including 70,000 legal immigrants. But the Senate version contains no cuts in the food stamp program.

“You don’t compromise the food stamp program,” she said. “It has performed admirably during the hurricanes and other disasters to take in people who needed the assistance. Our position is ‘No cuts!’ We oppose this budget reconciliation bill.”

CHN leaders called on the 750 organizations in their coalition to redouble the fight to block the cuts when House and Senate conferees meet to try to iron out the differences between the versions, probably after Dec. 12. CHN mobilized such a huge outpouring of messages against the bill in October and November that the GOP leadership admitted they lacked the votes and temporarily pulled the bill from the floor.

“A number of things could happen,” Teller said. “It could die in conference. It could be reported back and rejected on the House or Senate floor. Look at what is at stake: Food stamps. Medicaid. Student loans. Foster care. Drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. So many constituencies are hit by this legislation.”

She warned that the lawmakers may engage in horse-trading, pitting food stamps against Medicaid, for example. “None of us is so myopic as to fall for that,” she said. “Nutrition programs are our piece of the pie. But we support all the programs that serve low-income people.”

A shift by even a handful in the closely divided House could kill the measure, she said. In New York, constituents bombarded the office of Rep. Ed Towns to express their disappointment that he was absent and did not cast a “no” vote on the bill. “And Rep. Randy Cunningham who voted yes is no longer there,” she said, referring to the Republican lawmaker who admitted taking more than $2 million in bribes from Pentagon weapons contractors. He has resigned in disgrace.

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