Late last night, the U.S. House passed a funding bill that finally does away with flat Trump-era spending, providing a 6.7% increase on domestic programs. Some departments such as Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education saw an even greater increase.

Now it’s the Senate’s turn! Write to your U.S. Senators and demand they pass the omnibus spending bill by Friday at midnight before government funding runs out.

While Mitch McConnell has stood in the way of funding to continue free school meals to an expanded number of children, we were successful in getting increased funding for schools to assist millions of children who have fallen behind in their education during the pandemic.

This spending bill increases funding for refugees and unaccompanied minors entering the U.S.―turning the U.S. away from inhumane anti-immigrant policies of the Trump administration.

This bill increases child care spending beyond a simple inflation increase―a step in the right direction.

It provides new funding for mental health programs and helps combat substance use disorder at a critical time.

The bill provides 25,000 more rental vouchers to make housing affordable for people threatened by homelessness. And the bill increases WIC (Women, Infants and Children nutrition program) funding by $583 million―investing in one of the most effective nutrition security programs for low-income families.

Write to your U.S. Senators now and demand they immediately pass the omnibus spending bill to end flat Trump-era spending and finally start investing in our future. These votes can be close―your senators need to hear from you.

While there is so much more Congress must do to address racial and gender health disparities, help children through these challenging times, and more, this spending bill is a big step toward supporting our families and communities.

Thank you for taking action today,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs