TAKE ACTION -- FY 2006 HVRP Appropriations

GIVE COPIES OF THIS ALERT TO YOUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

SO THEY CAN HELP GET THE WORD TO CONGRESS 

ACTION REQUESTED:  The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans urges Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) grantees, NCHV members, and supporters of homeless veterans to CALL and FAX your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives and ask them to urge the leaders of their chamber's Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education (Labor-H) to ensure a significant funding increase in FY 2006 for HVRP.

While we need to reach all U.S. Senators, it is particularly important that organizations and individuals in the following states contact their U.S. Senator serving on the Senate Appropriations Labor-H Subcommittee:  Alabama, Richard Shelby; Alaska, Ted Stevens; Hawaii, Daniel Inouye; Idaho, Larry Craig; Illinois, Dick Durbin; Iowa, Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom Harkin; Louisiana, Mary Landrieu; Mississippi, Thad Cochran; Nevada, Harry Reid; New Hampshire, Judd Gregg; Ohio, Mike DeWine; Pennsylvania, Subcommittee Chairman Arlen Specter; Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison; Washington, Patty Murray; Wisconsin, Herb Kohl.

While we need to reach all U.S. Representatives, it is particularly important that organizations and individuals in the following states contact the U.S. Representative(s) from their state serving on the House Appropriations Labor-H Subcommittee:  California, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Lucille Roybal-Allard; Connecticut, Rosa DeLauro; Florida, Dave Weldon; Illinois, Jesse Jackson, Jr.; Kentucky, Anne Northup; Maryland, Steny Hoyer; Mississippi, Roger Wicker; New York, Nita Lowey, James Walsh; Ohio, Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula; Oklahoma, Ernest Istook, Jr.; Pennsylvania, John Peterson, Don Sherwood; Rhode Island, Patrick Kennedy; Texas, Kay Granger; Wisconsin, Subcommittee Ranking Member Dave Obey.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED:  Please contact both of your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative immediately.  The Appropriations Committees provide each member of Congress an opportunity to submit lists of priority federal programs for funding.  Those lists are due to the committees in early April.  It is imperative that as many members of Congress as possible, particularly Senators and Representatives serving on the Appropriations Labor-H subcommittees, include HVRP among their lists of priority federal programs.  

BACKGROUND:  In early February, President Bush submitted his FY 2006 budget request to Congress.  The president's budget proposes a small $1.2 million increase in HVRP funds, which if enacted would bring the program to a $22 million level.  While a welcome increase, it falls far short of the amount necessary to meet the workforce investment and support service needs of our nation's homeless veterans.  Furthermore, the president's proposed funding level falls $28 million below the full funding level of $50 million authorized in law. 

INSTRUCTIONS:  To determine who your U.S. Senators are and find their phone and fax numbers, go to http://www.senate.gov, search for their web pages, and find the phone numbers and fax numbers for their Washington, D.C., offices.  Or, you may call 202-224-3121 and ask the operator to transfer you to the offices of your U.S. Senators.  To determine who your U.S. Representative is and find his/her phone and fax numbers, go to http://www.house.gov, search for his/her web page, and find the phone number and fax number for his/her Washington, D.C., office.  Or, you may call 202-225-3121 and ask the operator to transfer you to the office of your U.S. Representative. 

Tell the receptionist in the members' offices that you are a constituent and that you are calling about a legislative matter.  Ask to speak to the staff person who handles appropriations issues for Department of Labor programs.  You may get transferred to a staff member who handles veteran issues.  If so, be sure that this staff person understands you are calling about a Department of Labor program serving veterans. If the staff person is unavailable, ask to leave a voice mail message for them.

Talking points for your phone calls and fax follow-up letters are provided below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:  Call Linda Boone, Executive Director, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, 202-546-1969, ext. 102; 800-VET-HELP; or send email to: nchv@nchv.org.

TALKING POINTS:

• I am [name] with [name of organization] located in [name of location].  We provide [describe your range of services] to [indicate number] of homeless veterans annually in [describe your service area].
• [We currently receive funds through the Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.] or [We formerly received funds through the Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program and would like to do so again.] or [We plan to apply for funds through the Department of Labor's Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.]
• HVRP provides competitive grants to community-based, faith-based, and public organizations to offer outreach, job placement and supportive services to homeless veterans.
• [Describe how your organization uses HVRP funds, had used HVRP funds, or would use HVRP funds.  Describe how your project would be less successful or not able to be offered if HVRP funds were not available to your organization.  Describe how you use HVRP funds as leverage for other resources.]
• I am calling/writing to ask the Senator/Representative to communicate his/her strong support for $50 million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program to the Appropriations Labor-H subcommittee leadership.
• The President's budget includes a slight increase for HVRP in FY 2006, bringing the program to $22 million.  While we appreciate the request, this amount will ensure HVRP services to just 10,600 homeless veterans.  In the meantime, nearly 275,000 veterans experience homelessness on any given night.  These veterans need jobs, and HVRP helps us get them jobs.
• We really need the Senator/Representative to include HVRP on his/her list of program priorities being submitted to Appropriations leaders.
• Please apprise me of the Senator's/Representative's response to my request, or let me know what additional information you may need about HVRP or our organization's services to homeless veterans.
• I can be reached at [phone number and e-mail address].
• Thank you for relaying this request to the Senator.

REPORT BACK TO NCHV:  Please fax or e-mail a copy of any letter you send and any written response you receive to Linda Boone, Executive Director, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. Fax: 888-233-8582; email: nchv@nchv.org.

back to top