This month the Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities launched an aggressive new campaign to defeat the President's FY 2007 budget proposal. With events and press conference calls across the country ECAP is announcing this new emergency campaign and demanding that federal lawmakers be accountable to their constituents.

The message of the new emergency campaign is consistent with our message for the 2006 budget: Don't Target America's Priorities. With this slogan ECAP is using symbolism with creative bullseye signs and highlighting the many groups who have been thrust into the crosshairs by this Administration's budget cuts, from babies to seniors and students.

With this new budget fight, our ranks continue to grow and our campaign is getting even stronger. Nearly 1,000 citizens from across the country gathered in front of the Capitol on March 7th to protest the administration’s misplaced budget priorities. The ECAP rally, spearheaded by ACORN and the United States Student Association, was headlined by Senator Barbara Boxer and featured several Members of Congress who are leading the legislative battle to defeat these budget cuts. Also speaking were faith leaders, Americans affected by the proposed program cuts, students, and activists. The spirited crowd chanted loudly and sent a clear message to Congress: Don't Target America's Priorities!

In Maine 80 organizations joined together to launch a statewide campaign to defeat the President's draconian budget plan. Some 30 Iowa organizations formed a coalition to convince Congressman Nussle, the House Budget Chairman, to resist the president’s call for more cuts to the vital services Iowa families rely on. ECAP is dogging the President and Vice President across the nation – greeting the officials with rallies protesting their budget priorities when they travel to the states.

We are also continuing our work to defeat tax reconciliation with the release of an ECAP state by state impact analysis of the proposed capital gains and dividend tax cut extensions. Missouri Pro-Vote released the report on the steps of the state Capitol using giant checks to illustrate the discrepancy between the huge tax cuts for the wealthy and this Administration’s policies toward poor and middle class families.

Congress is expected to vote on the budget this month and ECAP is ratcheting up the pressure with call in days and rallies across America. Many members of the President's own party are already feeling the heat and voicing their opposition to some of the most offensive provisions of his budget – which would substantially curtail non defense federal discretionary spending, make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, and cut federal entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Today the Associated Press reported that Republicans are "nervous about cutting popular programs in an election year and still nursing wounds from a bruising round of benefit cuts last year."

ECAP is effectively putting President Bush and his allies in Congress on the defensive – and our voices are being heard in Washington, DC, and across the country!