AAP Federal Affairs Update

One week from today is Tuesday, Nov. 4: Election Day. Now is the time to speak up for children at the ballot box by casting your vote!

This year, all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 36 members of the U.S. Senate are up for election. In addition, 36 governors, 30 lieutenant governors, 31 attorneys general (+ DC), 26 secretaries of state, 4 insurance commissioners, 6,049 state legislators and 46 state Supreme Court justices are up for election.

To cast your vote on Election Day:

• If you are unable to vote in-person, request to vote by mail, or participate in early voting.
• Visit your local polling place on November 4.

A lot is at stake for children this election.

The 114^th Congress, which takes office in January 2015, will address several high-priority issues impacting children, including:

• Reauthorizing the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program
• Reauthorizing the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act
• Reauthorizing the child care development block grant
• Passing Fiscal Year 2015 appropriations legislation
• Addressing the needs of immigrant children, particularly the recent surge in unaccompanied minors from Central America crossing the U.S. border
• If not addressed in the lame duck congressional session in 2014:
  • extending funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program
  • extending the Medicaid payment increase beyond 2014
  • passing legislation to require childproof packaging for liquid nicotine refills used for e-cigarettes

In advance of the election, find out where your current members of Congress and candidates running for office stand on these and other child health issues important to you.

Learn more:

• Visit Vote411.org for a list of candidates who are running for office in your area.
• Go to federaladvocacy.aap.org for more information on critical child health federal policy topics.
• Read the 2014 State Elections Guide for AAP Chapters and download related resources like posters, stickers and poll time reminders.