ACTION ALERT – Please act now!
Action . Using non-federally funded time/resources, please call your Representative’s office NOW to tell him/her to oppose the Ryan budget resolution by calling 1‑888‑245‑0215 (toll free number made available through the organization Every Child Matters) or 202‑225‑3121. These numbers will take you directly to the Capitol switchboard, where you can ask for the office of your Representative. You can find your Representative by going to www.house.gov.
Tell the person who answers the phone that you urge the Congressman/woman to vote against the Ryan budget resolution because it would make such deep cuts in the Medicaid program. If your child/family receives assistance from Medicaid, please let them know that.
Note: If you are acquainted with your Representative’s legislative assistant for health (or higher-up), please ask to speak to them and/or email them directly.
While calling is more important, you can also send your Representative an email message by going to the Representative’s website through www.house.gov.
Also, (using your personal email) please pass this along this alert to friends, family, others who would be interested and willing to take action.
Background. The House Budget Committee recently approved the FY 2012 budget proposal of its Chairman, Paul Ryan (R-WI). The full House is expected to vote on the budget resolution on Thursday. This budget plan would make very deep cuts in Medicaid spending and calls for “block granting” the program. Under a block grant, the federal government would give states a fixed amount of money for Medicaid rather than a federal “match” for state expenditures as it does now. States would also be given broad flexibility in running the Medicaid program so that they could change the eligibility rules and services that are currently required. The end result could be devastating for CYSHCN and their families, since the decreasing amounts that the federal government would provide to states would almost certainly require states to reduce eligibility and/or services.
While the budget resolution is expected to pass the House, it is nonetheless very important to show that citizens care about this issue (which would be reflected by a strong minority voting against the bill) since the Senate – where the measure could be stopped – will be watching.