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Last Updated May 10, 2004

 

Income Security Campaign

Welfare Reauthorization - Fighting for a Strong Safety Net

This year, Congress reviews and re-authorizes the welfare pro-gram — a program intended to serve as a safety net for the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Bush's proposed welfare reform continues a failing policy aimed at reducing caseload, but not poverty.

Low-income Oregon Action members are working to strengthen the welfare program. Our reform demands include:

Oregon Action leaders have taken our concerns to State Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith.

Sen Wyden and Khanh

OA Board member Khanh Le with Senator Ron Wyden after successfully getting Wyden't committment to support our proposals.

In a meeting with Senator Wyden, earlier this summer, Oregon Action board member, Khanh Le spoke of his own family's experience as refugees from Vietnam. His mother, a hard-work-ing, tax-paying person in her 60's, is excluded from the nation's safety net programs because they are immigrants. After he finished telling Senator Wyden about the problems that his family is facing, and other activists from allied organizations also spoke to the need for his support, Wyden's response was that he would support us 103 percent on every issue.

CAUSA Organizer Cassandra Villanueva at the joint OA/CAUSA rally at Senator Smith's office.

 

Senator Smith has been harder to pin down on this issue. Oregon Action leaders took our case to Senator Smith in August, as Smith worked the campaign trail with visiting President Bush. In an action coordinated jointly with CAUSA (the state immigrant rights coalition) 50-70 excited people rallied in front of Smith's office. Amazing leaders gave testimony about the issue and marched to Smith's office to present a symbolic Ladder Out of Poverty, with steps he could take.

Participants then joined with democratic protest against President Bush's visit, directing our message to the president and media. There are more photos of the rally and march here. We continue to lead work on welfare reform, because it is important our constituents, low-income families, immigrants, and the entire community.

To see a side by side comparison of current proposals, click here.