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[Note: this urgent Action Alert
takes the place of the Friday, Sept. 1 VOR
Weekly E-Mail Update]
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Line-Item Veto Act of 2006
ACTION ALERT
September 1, 2006
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Contents
1. Your faxes and calls are needed to urge the
Senate to OPPOSE Line-Item
Veto Bill
2. Template Phone Message
3. Template Fax Message
4. Congressional Contact Information
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1. Your faxes and calls are needed to urge the
Senate to OPPOSE Line-Item
Veto Bill
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The Senate Budget Committee has approved a bill
(S. 3521) that would
radically alter federal budget procedures and
could lead to deep cuts in
the vast majority of domestic programs,
including Medicaid.
One provision within S. 3521 the Line Item Veto
Act of 2006 has already
passed the House and while odds are slim that
that the legislation will be
considered by the full Senate this year, the
bill is nevertheless important
because it appears to reflect an emerging
consensus among a growing number
of Congressional lawmakers (Source: Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities,
August 4, 2006).
The Line Item Veto Act would enable the
President to terminate funding for
entire discretionary programs and/or single out
Congressional improvements
or expansions of entitlement programs, including
Medicaid. The President
could veto parts of legislation passed by
Congress even if the costs of
such provisions are fully defrayed by offsetting
cuts in the same
entitlement law.
The Senate will reconvene after its August
recess on September 5 (next
Tuesday). NOW is the time for VOR members and
other advocates for people
with mental retardation to go on record against
line-item veto authority.
We are asking our grassroots advocacy network to
call and write the Senate,
beginning next week, to express loudly and
clearly our collective
opposition to the Line Item Veto Act. For our
part, VOR will hand-deliver
and fax a letter to every Senate office.
Thank you for your participation!
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2. Template Phone Message
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"On behalf of all persons with severe mental
retardation who rely on
Medicaid for services and health care, including
my [Son, Daughter, etc.],
I urge Senator _______ to OPPOSE the Legislative
Line Item Veto Act of
2006, which is part of S. 3521. The line-item
veto expands greatly the
President's authority to eliminate entire
programs, or parts of programs,
including Medicaid and Medicare, despite
Congressional consensus to the
contrary. This places the programs my family
member needs at great risk."
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3. Template Fax Message
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DATE
The Honorable _______________
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator __________
On behalf my ________, who has severe mental
retardation and relies on
Medicaid for services and health care, we urge
you to OPPOSE the
Legislative Line Item Veto Act of 2006, which is
part of S. 3521.
The line-item veto would enable the President to
disregard Congressional
consensus and unilaterally terminate funding for
entire discretionary
programs and/or single out Congressional
improvements or expansions of
entitlement programs, including Medicaid.
This gross expansion of executive authority is
irresponsible and places the
life-sustaining federal programs my family
member requires at risk from the
whims of ideology, political favors, and
political strong-arming.
The health care needs of millions of people hang
in the balance. I am
depending on you to help shape a fiscally
responsible package that keeps
health care accessible, affordable and
comprehensive for Medicaid
beneficiaries, most especially people with
severe and profound mental
retardation who cannot care for, speak for, or
in any way advocate for
themselves.
Thank you in advance for OPPOSING the Line-Item
Veto Act of 2006.
Sincerely,
NAME
ADDRESS
CONTACT INFO
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4. Congressional Contact Information
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To identify your two Senators, visit
http://www.congress.org. At
congress.org, you can get direct phone and fax
numbers for your Senators.
The Capitol Switchboard can also identify for
your Senators and connect you
to their offices: 1-800-426-8073.
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WE MUST ACT QUICKLY.
SEND YOUR FAX OR MAKE YOUR CALLS TODAY!!
THANK YOU FOR YOU PARTICIPATION
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