Budget proposals to cut Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security must be stopped!

BUDGET PROPOSALS TO CUT MEDICARE AND MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY MUST BE STOPPED!

Call Your Congressmember and U.S. Senators Today!!!

On Tuesday, March 17th, Republicans unveiled their proposed budget for 2016 that would privatize Medicare, turn Medicaid into block grants to the states, and repeal the ACA.  The House proposal, which has been voted on several times and passed, leans heavily on the policy prescriptions from Rep. Paul Ryan.  With the Senate now in Republican hands, this year’s proposal is more politically salient than in the past. 

This adds to the already passed rules change that will prohibits moving funds within the Social Security Trust fund so that the SSDI program will be able to pay full benefits – which could result in SSDI beneficiaries getting a benefit cutIF we don’t get Congress to rescind this prohibition.

We must act immediately and demand that our Representatives overturn these proposals, and fully fund the SSDI program and oppose cuts and privatization of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Call today and every day.  Here’s how/who to call:

Phone: President Obama (202) 456-1414

and your members of Congress to urge that no cuts be made.

To reach your House Representative and Senators Boxer and Feinstein

call the toll-free switchboard: 1-800-826-3688

Please ask others to make phone calls as well.

NEXT CARA STATEWIDE ORGANIZING CALL – APRIL 6th 

The monthly organizing calls that we started in January have been a great success – hundreds of CARA activists around the state have participated.  The April call is scheduled for Monday, April 6th at 4pm. We hope you will join us – the calls will be an hour long (or less) and are free to the caller.

MONTHLY CARA ORGANIZING CALLS – 1st Monday at 4pm

NEXT CALL ON MONDAY, APRIL 6th at 4pm.

866-516-3949/ Passcode: 3948639#

CARA JOINS NEW COALITION TO EXPAND SSI – CA4SSI

Sign the Petition Below

The SSI/SSP program provides a very small cash grant to California’s lowest income residents, who have no other source of income.  Over 75% of the SSI beneficiaries are seniors.  The grant amount has been cut over the years, and now is the lowest in the nation – below poverty level.  And the COLA that was once provided to SSI recipients was cut several years ago and needs to be restored.  A new coalition has been formed to fight for improved SSI/SSP benefits in the budget.  CARA is a part of this effort.  One part of the coalition’s efforts is an on line petition.  Please read and sign it today by clicking here or go to: http://bit.ly/CA4SSIPetition.

We made great strides getting our message to members of the Assembly budget committee and at the joint hearing of the Assembly Human Services and Aging and Long Term Care Committees.  On March 26th we will have a chance to present our demands to the Senate Budget Committee.  Please join us:

Thursday, March 26thh at 10am at the State Capitol in Room 4203.  Please let us know if you can make it.  If you cannot, please call your State Senator and urge their support.

MAY 21st: CARA LOBBY DAY

10AM – 2PM/ WEST STEPS OF CAPITOL

Please mark May 21st on your calendar.  This is CARA’s annual lobby day – this year it will be in the State Capitol.  There will be buses and carpools from Northern CA.  May 21st is a CALL IN day to your State Assemblymember and Senator for all CARA members who cannot attend the Lobby Day in person.  To sign up to attend, call CARA at 510-663-4086.  More details will be included in the next issue of the CARA Alert, so stay tuned.

SAVE THE DATE: CARA’S 12TH ANNUAL STATEWIDE CONVENTION

MONDAY AND TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19TH AND 20TH

DOUBLETREE HILTON, ONTARIO, CA

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