Louisiana
On August 18th 2009, Vote Kids launched an advertising campaign in New Orleans Louisiana. The ad urges Senator David Vitter to support health care reform that will guarantee access to quality health care for every single child and to place their interests ahead of the insurance companies and opponents of common sense reform. Watch the ad:
What Are the Challenges Facing Louisiana’s Children?
143,300 Louisiana children are without health insurance, and 283,000 live in poverty’s grip. Too many children are falling through the cracks and not getting the opportunities they deserve.
How has Senator Vitter Voted This Year on Issues Facing Louisiana’s children?
Equal Pay for Equal Work – Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act – There are 356,769 Louisiana children living in a single-mother household. 263,270 of these children have a mother who works and stand to benefit from this law.
Reauthorizing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program – The reauthorization of this program will insure as many as 82,100 additional children, or 57.4% of the Louisiana’s currently uninsured children.
Vitter’s Vote – No
Economic Stimulus Package – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – This stimulus legislation would provide substantial new resources to the children of Louisiana, including:
| 1,660,000,000 in relief for Medicaid costs. Medicaid which insures low-income children and seniors. | $192,000,000 services to children with disabilities in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding. | |
| $579,600,000 to prevent cuts to programs for school-aged children. | $40,014,136 in Emergency Child Care and Development Block Grant funds benefiting 11,890 children. | |
| $279,500,000 for the Title I academic achievement of the disadvantaged program. | An increase in unemployment benefits to 137,353 families. | |
| $46,500,000 for education programs | $25,400,000 in emergency shelter grants for 5,600 households. | |
| $13,600,000 in additional child support enforcement matching funds. | $20,200,000 in youth training employment services. | |
| 277,000 children will benefit from the child tax credit provisions of the legislation. | $461,000,000 in food stamps for 712,000 Louisiana citizens. |
Vitter’s Vote – No
Expanding Volunteer Opportunities – The GIVE Act – The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act expands community service programs including the School-Based and Community-Based Service-Learning programs, Learn and Serve programs, and AmeriCorps.
Vitter’s Vote – No
Gutting Washington DC’s Gun Restrictions - This amendment was attached to the bill to provide voting rights to citizens of the District of Columbia in the House of Representatives. A vote in favor of this amendment would gut the District’s gun control laws without consent of the elected Representatives and voters in the city. 143 children in the District have died from firearms from 2000-2006, a rate higher than any state.
Vitter’s Vote – No
Increasing Funding for Children’s Programs in 2010 Budget – This resolution would provide the funds for the programs highlighted in President Obama’s budget, including:
- Tax cuts for the families of millions of children
- The Nurse Home Visitation program
- Energy assistance to low-income families
- The Project-Based Rental Assistance Program
- Nutrition assistance
- Preventing teen pregnancy
- Rewarding excellent teachers
- Health coverage for children
- Down payment on the President’s “Zero to Five” plan
- Making the $2500 American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent
Vitter’s Vote – No
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - This bill protects children and teens by granting the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the advertising, marketing and manufacturing of tobacco products. 11% of Louisiana children have smoked in the last 30 days.
Vitter’s Vote – No
Where has Senator Vitter’s Campaign $$ Come from?
David Vitter has received over a million dollars in his career from health professionals and people in the insurance industry.