House Budget Bill Threatens Service Cuts

Update (6/25/04): Victory! The House rejected H.R. 3973 on a vote of 146-268.

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June 10, 2004—As early as next week, members of the House of Representatives may vote on legislation that would drastically affect many people with mental illnesses. Provisions in the bill would have an impact on the funding and availability of services under Medicare, Medicaid and discretionary programs serving children and adults with disabilities.

The “budget process” legislation (H.R. 3973) has been cleared by the House Budget Committee. If approved, it would subject entitlement programs to the congressional pay-as-you-go requirements, meaning that spending offsets would be needed to “pay-for” changes in law. As Congress tries to deal with the ballooning federal deficit, this would likely result in cuts to many programs that are important to vulnerable populations.

The legislation would also impose a five-year cap on discretionary spending levels for other critical programs in such areas as education and mental health, while shielding areas such a defense and homeland security.

Under H.R. 3973, new tax cuts would not be subject to the same requirement. This would create an environment conducive to cuts in already overburdened areas, such the public mental health system.

Furthermore, at a time when the President’s Commission on Mental Health has declared the public mental health system “in shambles,” any service or entitlement program improvements would have to be accompanied by cuts to other areas -- pitting mental health improvements against other programs. This would stifle the innovation necessary to close the current unmet treatment gap, thus contradicting the President’s New Freedom Initiative. It would put at risk needed improvements in access to community-based services, perpetuating the adverse outcomes we see today, such as custody relinquishment, juvenile and criminal involvement and homelessness.

Disability advocates, mental health consumers and individuals with disabilities and their families must speak out today in opposition to these budget rule changes.

Take Action Now

Contact your Representative today and urge him or her to oppose H.R. 3973.

Remind your Representative of the importance of the goals of the New Freedom Initiative and the President’s Commission on Mental Health. These goals cannot be realized if critical programs serving people with mental illnesses are subject to the cuts and caps proposed by H.R. 3973, when tax cuts are not subject to the same restraints.

Political pressure for tax cuts should not lead to cuts in mental health spending and services for low-income children and adults. This would be an unacceptable consequence.

How to Contact Your Representative

* Phone: Call your Representative via the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.

* Email: Go to http://www.congress.org/ to send a clear, concise message to your Representative. Most congressional offices will not pay attention to email from people outside of their districts, so make sure you introduce yourself as a constituent. Remember to include your full name, mailing address and zip code.

For more information about H.R. 3973

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has written extensively on these changes. Documents can be found at http://www.cbpp.org/ in opposition of these budget rule changes.