Senate passes and President signs budget bill increasing WIC
With strong bipartisan votes in both the House and Senate, Congress finished passing the first six FY 2024 budget bills on Friday, averting a partial government shutdown. The President signed the bill, which increased funding from $6 billion to $7 billion for the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) nutrition program. Twelve of Ohio’s 14 House of Representatives members, including 7 Republicans, voted for the appropriation bills, which required support of two-thirds of the chamber to advance. Reps. Jim Jordan and Warren Davidson voted no. In the Senate, Sen. Sherrod Brown voted yes and Sen. J.D. Vance voted no. Thank you to all of you who made calls!
The Episcopal Church’s statement on deaths of civilians seeking aid in Gaza
(March 1) “On February 29th, while waiting in line to receive food, more than 100 people were killed and more than 750 were wounded in Gaza. At the time of writing, we cannot know exactly what happened, but this is a further example of the sheer horror civilians are facing while trying to fulfill their most basic needs. As we pray for the dead and injured, we reiterate our call for a ceasefire. Humanitarian aid is essential to ensuring that lives are not lost to lack of food, water, medical supplies, fuel, and other basic necessities. These needs cannot be met with constant war. A ceasefire will allow for humanitarian aid to pass into Gaza without harm coming to those delivering or receiving it.
“Please contact your Congress members and President Biden and call for a ceasefire using our action alert here. We invite you to read the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches statement.For additional information and resources from the Episcopal Church on the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land, please see our page here.“
Federal rule to cap out of pocket child care costs at 7% of family income announced
We reported last week on the critical shortage and high cost of child care in Ohio and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s call for several policy solutions to tackle the problem, which is taking a dire toll on working families and constraining employers who are trying to expand businesses here. Constraints include the low pay and state reimbursement for child care workers and the state’s policy capping eligibility for child care subsidies to those making less than 40% of state median income.
The First Five Years Fund reports over 35,000 children 6 and under would be benefitted if the money can be secured to cover this expanded subsidy. It adds that over 38% of Ohio children aged 0-6 are eligible for federal child care funding but over 90% of them are not getting it because it’s insufficiently funded as a block grant, rather than an entitlement. I’m trying to find out more about negotiations on the second group of FY 2024 appropriations, which includes funding for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Growing racial disparity in voter participation follows wave of changes in state rules
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act introduced again to level the playing field
Last week Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson summarized the Brennen Center’s research on the impact of restrictive voting laws passed in many states since the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v Holder decision eliminated the Voting Right Act requirement that states with a history of racial discrimination get approval from the federal government before changing voting rules.
“As recently as 2006, Congress reauthorized the Voting Rights Act by a bipartisan vote. By 2008 there was very little difference in voter participation between white Americans and Americans of color,” she wrote on March 6. “The Shelby County v. Holder decision opened the door, once again, for voter suppression. Since then, states have made it harder to vote; in 2023, at least 14 states enacted 17 restrictive voting laws. A recent study by the Brennan Center of nearly a billion vote records over 14 years shows that the racial voting cap is growing almost twice as fast in places that used to be covered by the preclearance requirement.”
House Democrats renewed their attempt to create federal protection for equal rights for all voters by reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act. The companion bill was introduced by 51 Democratic Senators on March 1. The Episcopal Public Policy Network has a link describing barriers to voter access which include policies adopted in Ohio the stricter ID rules recently passed by our legislature. The preclearance review under the 1965 Voting Rights Act primarily covered former Confederate states. The EPPN post highlights the impact the John R. Lewis Act would have across the entire nation if it can make it through Congress. Please contact your member of Congress and Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and JD Vance with your views on the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act.
Nonprofit Center for Rural Affairs offers guide to federal funding
“Rural communities have access to unprecedented amounts of funding for infrastructure, energy, and conservation projects, made possible with the passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act,” writes Rhea Landholm of the Center for Rural Affairs. “To help, a new resource from the Center outlines the various stages of a federal grant application. Check it out for tips and information on identifying grant opportunities, preparing to apply, setting a timeline, and writing and submitting an application.
Rewiring America offers resources to help you decide on electrification options
Many people of faith are retrofitting their homes to reduce carbon emissions. Here’s a resource shared by David Roberts at Volt: “People who do set out to electrify their homes often find the process bewildering. Do you need to upgrade your panel? How big a heat pump do you need? Does your stove matter? It’s difficult to know where to start, what to prioritize, how to assess contractors, and how to track down incentives and rebates. Into this mess comes a very handy new tool called the personal electrification planner, from Rewiring America. You can put in some basic info about your house and it will help walk you step by step through how to make a plan, find contractors, and finish projects.”
Advocacy briefings are compiled by Ariel Miller, a longtime community advocate and member of Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming. Connect with her at arielmillerwriter@gmail.com.
