AAUW Action Network: Urge Congress to Finish the People’s Business

December 15, 2005

Urge Congress to Finish the People’s Business Take Action!

The end of the year is approaching fast. Don’t let Congress go home

without finishing the people’s business. The House voted yesterday to pass the

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill

and legislation reauthorizing the Patriot Act, but Congress still hasn’t passed

legislation reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Instead they’ve

been pursuing $56 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans offset by $45

billion in budget cuts in spending that would hurt a broad cross section of

Americans by eliminating or severely cutting programs you or someone you know

may rely on – such as Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment insurance, and student

financial aid. Now is not the time to cut services for the most vulnerable in

our country while simultaneously cutting taxes for the most fortunate and adding

an estimated $35 billion to the federal deficit. AAUW supports public budgets

that balance individual rights and

responsibility to community. The House and the Senate passed differing

versions of VAWA. These differences need to be worked out by a conference

committee with representatives from both chambers, but the conference process

hasn’t been started on VAWA. Urge Congress to convene a conference committee

immediately to reauthorize VAWA. This landmark Act ran out September 30 and must

be continued and enhanced as soon as possible.

Take Action!

Tell Congress to get on with conducting the people’s business by reauthorizing

VAWA and stopping budget reconciliation. Click on the “Take Action” link in the

upper right corner, or copy and paste the following URL into your Internet

browser, then follow the instructions to send an e-mail to your members of

To learn more, read AAUW’s Violence Against Women position paper.

AAUW members can read the December issue of Action Alert online

Read the 2005-2007 AAUW Public Policy Program.

Become a member of AAUW, and join a powerful network of educated women.

I want to strengthen AAUW's voice with policy-makers! Contribute now.

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" When the power of love becomes stronger than the love of power, we will have

peace. "

Jimi Hendrix

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