Time for Action on Two Key Family Bills

Two bills expected to come before Congress this week could have a direct impact on many families across the U.S. The first, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), adds protections on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability to existing anti-discrimination laws. The House will likely vote this week. Openly gay Representative Barney Frank predicts it will pass there, but face a tougher battle in the Senate. To contact your members of Congress about the bill, you can use one of the handy Action Centers from HRC or the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

On a non-LGBT-specific note, Congress is also expected to vote on the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a program intended to help families not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid, but without the means to pay for their children’s medical needs. USA Today reports:

Democrats and some Republicans in Congress last week agreed to add about $35 billion more over five years to the $5 billion-a-year program—enough to cover about 4 million more children. The House and Senate are scheduled to vote on the package this week. Without any more federal funds next year, nearly 1 million children and adults in 20 states would lose coverage.

Bush wants to limit CHIP enrollment to families earning less than 250% of the poverty level—$51,625 for a family of four.

Bush has said he will veto the bill and ask for a simple extension of the existing program. In February, a bipartisan group of governors asked him to approve it, arguing that in areas with a high cost of living, going above twice the poverty limit is necessary. Families USA, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization advocating high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans, has more information and ways to take action. Elizabeth at Half Changed World also has a number of good talking points.

If you don’t like going through organizations’ action centers, and prefer to craft your own message for these bills (or even against, though I hope not), you can look up your Representatives’ and Senators’ e-mail addresses on the official government sites.