Because Nebraska Appleseed seeks policies and practices that support low-income Nebraskans in becoming truly self-sufficient, and because the federal budget is the ultimate example of how we, as a country, set policies and fund programs that allow people to transition to self-sufficiency, Nebraska Appleseed has committed significant time and resources into a federal budget project.
The purpose of this project is to ensure that the voices of vulnerable and low-income Nebraskans are heard during the federal budget debate. Our federal budget campaign involves monitoring the federal budget process, educating agencies, communities, and other interested parties in Nebraska about federal budget decisions, and furthering the interests of low-income Nebraskans on each budget decision made. Nebraska Appleseed, in collaboration with Voices for Children of Nebraska, built a coalition of diverse agencies and groups all across the state in order to educate our federal representatives in Washington about the important choices they are making.
Would you like to receive print materials such as brochures, handbooks, and reports? Please fill out our on-line request form or click the links below the document title on the form to download.
Become a member of the federal budget coalition, or to receive email updates about what’s currently going on in the federal budget process.
Summary of Revisions in the New SCHIP Legislation
45,000 Reasons Why - Nebraska Appleseed/Voices for Children Op/Ed
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), called Kids Connection in Nebraska, provides access to health care for children who do not qualify for Medicaid, but cannot afford health insurance in the private market or through their employer (assuming it’s offered). Kids Connection is funded by a combination of federal and state money with the majority of the cost of covering a child – 70% – covered by the federal government. Kids Connection provides coverage to children in households earning up to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or $31,765 for a family of three. After starting its program as a model for the country, Nebraska now lags behind 40 other states with one of the 10 lowest eligibility rates in the country.
Read the Full Fact Sheet... | Why SCHIP Is Critical to Nebraska...
Nebraska Appleseed drafted and coordinated a sign-on letter to Senator Nelson asking for his continued support of Kid’s Connection and stressing the importance of supporting a budget resolution that provides adequate funding for Kids Connection and the Food Stamp program.
Tobacco Taxes are a Reasonable Source of Funding for SCHIP. Both the Senate and the House SCHIP bills propose to increase SCHIP funding through an increase in the tobacco tax. Certain members of our delegation are not comfortable with the idea of levying any tax, even for the benefit of good public policy. The concern is that Nebraska will be sending more tobacco tax dollars to Washington than it will receive back in SCHIP dollars. Some are referring to this as creating “donor” states – donating tax dollars for a small return.
Children's Health Hangs In The Balance
Kate Bolz