About Government Affairs
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In order to impact policy and decision making as it relates to the Jewish community, JUF’s Government Affairs Program develops and maintains working relationships with key government officials.What’s New @ Government Affairs?
Important legislation is moving in our state and national capitols.
- Springfield: State officials agreed to defer revenue debates until early January. The FY 10 budget was restructured to include a billion dollars in reductions from the Governor’s introduced request, and a reduction of human services spending to 87 – 92% of past year expenditures. A court ruled that program mandates of the Depart of Children and Family Services are still applicable regardless of the fiscal crisis, so that one state agency will experience less budget reductions. There is no discussion of when providers can expect payment for reimbursements in the coming fiscal year, leading many to worry that the payment cycle will become even worse than it now is. Jewish Federation Affiliate Agencies are awaiting new contracts to determine what their payment for serving state referred clients will be. Some services and facilities of other non-profit agencies have already been closed or reduced as a result of state government inadequate payment levels or state agencies eliminating entire program areas. For further information on the current events in Springfield, contact the Springfield office at 217-753-1010.
- Washington: In Washington, Congress continues to negotiate a viable plan for health care reform. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee is currently marking up its version of health care reform. We are happy to report that language similar to the CLASS Act, which our 2009 DC Mission participants advocated on, was included in the HELP Committee's legislation. The Senate Finance Committee, which controls tax law, will unveil their version of health care reform shortly. House Democrats released their health reform bill on July 14th. We will be monitoring the funding measures for these bills carefully, as they will greatly affect our affiliate agencies. We urge everyone to take action on the following issues: the IRA Charitable Rollover, the Community Choice Act of 2009, and the CLASS Act of 2009. For more information on the current events in Congress, contact the Washington office at 202-466-7090.
What We Do
- Work with health and human service organizations to develop partnerships and alliances that benefit the Jewish community
- Orchestrate and present legislative initiatives on behalf of vulnerable populations in Chicago
- Collaborate with JCRC on community relations and international issues
- Promote public-private partnerships to strengthen combined advocacy
