JACL Action Alert Network
10.23.2007
The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007 (NHGRA) or HR 505 is scheduled for a vote before the House on Wednesday, October 24 --that's TOMORROW! We need urgent action on your part and ask that you contact your Representative to urge a YES vote on the bill and reject any motion to recommit HR 505. A motion to recommit sends the bill back to the committee which essentially kills the bill.
This bill will establish Native Hawaiians as a federally recognized Native governing entity functioning in the US along side local, state and federal governing entities similar to the recognition American Indians and Alaska Natives enjoy today. It also ultimately protects Native Hawaiian culture as well as existing Native Hawaiian programs. The complete language of the bill 'The Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007' or HR 505 is attached. More importantly, you'll find a sample letter you can edit and complete to send to your Representative.
A letter from National JACL will also be going to the House leadership. We appreciate your support. An action alert has been sent out but please pass this along to your chapter presidents as attachments are not possible in the action alerts.
FAX a letter of support and/or CALL your Representative TODAY. VOTE YES on HR 505.
The vote will be held tomorrow morning!
House Switchboard: 202.225.3121
Fax or Email: go to www.house.gov and enter your zip code in the top left hand box
10.03.2007
The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is extremely disappointed with President Bush’s recent decision to take away health care coverage known as State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) from millions of low income children.
SCHIP is a federally funded program which provides health insurance for families who earn too much money to quality for Medicaid, but cannot afford to buy their own private insurance. Created in 1997, SCHIP was designed to address the problem of the increasing number of children with no health care coverage.
Congress recently passed an extension of SCHIP that would have added $35 billion to the program over the next five years to cover funding shortfalls identified for those already eligible for coverage as well as give states the ability to reach out to additional eligible uninsured children. Approximately 10 million children will be affected; 6.6 million children of whom are currently enrolled and 4 million who will not have any health care coverage without this measure.
While President Bush claims that $35 billion is too much, his proposed $5 billion would not have been enough to meet current demands to cover all the children currently enrolled in SCHIP. Even with strong bi-partisan support for the expansion of SCHIP, President Bush has vetoed the measure making basic health care inaccessible to these 10 million low income children.
The House will convene again on October 18 to take a vote to override the vetoed SCHIP measure. If Congress doesn’t override the veto, millions of children will be left behind.
JACL, the nation’s oldest Asian American civil rights organization, recognizes that access to basic health care is essential. By investing in our children, we are investing in our future. We cannot let our most vulnerable children go without access to basic health care.
TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Urge your Congressmember to override President Bush’s veto of SCHIP.
Contact your Congressmember by calling the House switchboard at (202) 225-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative.
To find out who your Representative is, visit www.house.gov and enter your zip code in the top left corner of the page.