Wanderingvets.com

Dear Friends:

Wow what times we are seeing and living in! Bank failures, foreclosures, gasoline rising to nearly $5.00 in parts of the U.S., more companies (including banks) laying off more Americans, and relief being needed in every corner.   Listening to our President, or any of the Presidential Candidates running , it will take years for the nation to turn around.

In the meantime, while all of the economic woes are hitting this country, more and more Americans are falling through the cracks. Homeless shelters are filling and the need for aid is increasing.  Congress has HR 840, The Hearth Act before them this week before the House Finance’s Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. This measure does not bail out a sector of industry, it aids human beings more directly.

The Hearth Act contains many active steps to aid families facing homelessness including some proactive steps to prevent homelessness. HR 840, The Hearth Act.

This Act is important for so many losing jobs, homes, living in shelters, unsheltered, as well as containing steps to assists communities in aiding their citizens and their homeless, as well as penalizing communities that criminalize homelessness.

The Hearth Act also contains an expanded definition of Homelessness to aid families that are living doubled up and not currently counted as being homeless. This definition also affects many Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who currently find themselves short on housing and employment opportunities and will probably force the VA to change its definition of Homeless Veteran as well.

I pray that Congress does not sit on HR840. The following Congressional Officials are on the committee overseeing this measure are:

Democrats

Rep. Maxine Waters (CA), Chairwoman
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY)
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (MA)
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO)
Rep. Al Green (TX)
Rep. William Lacy Clay (MO)
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY)
Rep. Gwen Moore (WI)
Rep. Keith Ellison (MN)
Rep. Christopher S. Murphy (CT)
Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN)
Rep. Michael E. Capuano (MA)
Rep. Charles A. Wilson (OH)
Rep. Don Cazayoux (LA)

Republicans

Rep. Shelley Capito (WV), Ranking Member
Rep. Stevan Pearce (NM)
Rep. Peter King (NY)
Rep. Judy Biggert (IL)
Rep. Christopher Shays (CT)
Rep. Gary G. Miller (CA)
Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ)
Rep. Randy Neugebauer (TX)
Rep. Geoff Davis (KY)
Rep. John Campbell (CA)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (MI)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA)

The markup of HR 840, the HEARTH Act, is scheduled for this week in the House Financial Services Committee. (The exact date is unclear.) I have checked the committee’s website and it is not listed for what day or time they will meet on this. If your congressman is listed above, please contact them and let them know you are for this act.

Wanderingvet