We have learned that a bipartisan group of Senators have proposed a
total of $77.9 billion in cuts to the stimulus bill including an 89.4
percent cut of the prevention and wellness provisions and 50% cut in
the
Violence Against Women Act funding. It is rumored that at least 17
members have already signed on and action is expected today on this
amendment.
As reported in CongressDaily PM, the Senate Majority Leader stated
that
he believes the votes are there to pass the stimulus package without
removing up to $100 billion via amendment(s) (including the $5.185
billion cut in public health spending proposed earlier today). Also,
there has been discussion of Senator Collins offering an amendment
separate from the Nelson amendment. We need to make sure that the
message going out is broad enough to oppose any amendments to
significantly weaken the public health provisions - no matter whose
name
or names are attached.
Please share this message with your coalition partners and advocates
and
ask them to call your Senators NOW to oppose the Nelson/Collins
Amendment or any cuts to prevention funding.
Our message is simple - Injuries and violence are preventable.
Supporting prevention, including injury and violence prevention, in
the
economic stimulus bill can yield a substantial return on investment as
shown in a number of research and economic studies and provide
meaningful employment opportunities. All 100 members should be
receiving
communications.
Thank you in advance for your immediate action. You can go to our
Action
Center and enter your zip codes and send an email message here:
http://capwiz.com/ncoa/dbq/officials/
<http://capwiz.com/ncoa/dbq/officials/> . You can copy and paste the
message about the cut to prevention and wellness, but anything you can
add to personalize it to the local need for these funds would be more
effective.
Lynn
Bonita Lynn Beattie, PT, MPT, MHA
Vice President, Injury Prevention
Center for Healthy Aging
National Council on Aging
1901 L Street, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Direct: 20...
Fax: 202-479-0735
www.healthyagingprograms.org <http://www.healthyagingprograms.org/>
www.ncoa.org <http://www.ncoa.org/>