RESULTS Weekly Update September 28, 2021

Quote of the Week

“The U.S. must lead the global effort to boost the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to end the pandemic.”

– RESULTS Dallas volunteer Margaret Smith in a September 20 letter to the editor in the Dallas Morning News

Table of Contents

• Time to use all your advocacy skills to protect workers, families, and children
• The Senate needs to hear from you on global vaccine access
• Join October National Webinar this Saturday at 1pm ET
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Time to use all your advocacy skills to protect workers, families, and children

This is one of the busiest weeks Congress has seen in a long time. In addition to needing to pass legislation to avoid a government shutdown on Friday and a default on America’s debts in the coming weeks, the House will be voting on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and working to advance the new economic recovery bill. This last item is our chief focus. Again, here are the provisions we want to see in the final recovery bill:

• $90 billion for rental assistance, including $75 billon for Housing Choice Vouchers to fund 750,000 new vouchers for low-income renters (see how many in your state here)
• Expansion of the full Child Tax Credit for all low-income families – it is particularly important that Congress make full refundability for families with little or no income (full refundability). RESULTS also supports restoration of CTC benefits for children in immigrant families (who have an ITIN). While we support making the full CTC expansions permanent, given how unlikely this is in a recovery package we support an extension of the increased CTC amounts through 2025
• Permanent expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit for younger workers and low-wage workers without children

Over the weekend, the House Budget Committee combined all the various components of the economic recovery bill into one package. Leadership is now quickly working with House and Senate Democrats (no Republican is expected to support the legislation) to secure a deal that can, in principle, pass both chambers. The sticking point is the scope of the package. Democratic moderates want to scale back the investments below the $3.5 trillion authorized in the budget resolution (most of which is offset by increased revenues), while progressives feel they have already compromised on size. Without both sides’ support, the bill cannot pass.

But all these discussions about cost are ignoring the most important aspect of this debate – the recovery bill will make life better for Americans, especially those struggling day-to-day to make ends meet. This bill is food for hungry children. It’s childcare for working parents. It’s money for college for a low-wage workers. It’s a place to call home for families struggling to pay rent. The recovery bill is an investment in people – an investment in us. Isn’t that worth paying for? Isn’t that worth fighting for?

TAKE ACTION: Now is the time to act. A deal on economic recovery could come at any time. It’s time to pull out all your advocacy tools and tell your member of Congress to act. It is vitally important to reach out to moderate Democrats in the House and Senate, whose support of a large-scale recovery bill is still not assured, while keeping up the pressure on all policymakers to ensure the final bill includes key anti-poverty provisions. Here is what you can do:

1. Point people for your members of Congress should contact housing and tax aides (or follow up if you already have) and urge their bosses to tell congressional leadership to pass a recovery bill that expands the CTC, EITC, and Housing Choice Vouchers as outlined above. The September 2021 U.S. Poverty Action includes sample letters to aides. When contacting them, please attach our Housing Request Sheet and CTC/EITC Request Sheet to the corresponding e-mail. If you have questions, please contact RESULTS staff for assistance.
2. If you are not contacting an aide, submit a letter to the editor TODAY urging your members of Congress to support our housing and tax credit investments in the final recovery bill. Use our updated media alert to send your letter today.
3. Urge everyone you know to e-mail or call Congress this week about passing a strong recovery bill that invests in health, housing, and reducing poverty. Send them our online action alert.

As things progress, visit our new RESULTS Blog post for regular updates on what’s happening on the recovery bill.

The Senate needs to hear from you on global vaccine access

There is an immense need around the world for a steady supply of COVID-19 vaccines. Please call and write to your senators and ask them to prioritize funding to scale up vaccine manufacturing. Enroll others in taking action as well. We can make a difference!

In the recovery package currently being debated, the House has proposed $2 billion to expand manufacturing capacity of the COVID-19 vaccines. When combined with funding previously provided by Congress, the Biden Administration has significant resources to expand access to vaccines. The Senate must at least match the House proposal and ensure these funds are directed toward expanding manufacturing capacity.

Many low-income countries hoped to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses through COVAX, a global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. However, many rich countries jumped the queue by creating separate deals with vaccine manufacturers and paying a higher price per immunization dose than COVAX. Meanwhile, the under-resourced COVAX had to slash its already moderate goals, reducing its 2021 vaccine supply forecast by 25 percent. It is unconscionable for rich countries to hoard the resources and vaccine manufacturing knowhow that could end the misery of COVID-19.

Congress has the opportunity to ensure that communities everywhere have access to vaccines, but they must act now.

TAKE ACTION: If you are a Senate point person, call and email the aide responsible for health and ask the senator to speak and/or write to Senate leadership (Schumer) and Senate HELP Committee leadership (Murray, Burr), calling on them to include $2 billion to increase vaccine manufacturing in the reconciliation bill.

For everyone else, use this online action alert with the same request to take action. Also, please and share this action with others so your senators hear from lots of constituents.

You are also encouraged to submit a letter to the editor on vaccine access using our online media action or use our current Global Poverty Action Sheet to encourage and enroll others in submitting letters to the editor. Be sure to send your published media to your members of Congress. If you have questions or need support in taking these critical actions, please contact RESULTS staff for assistance.

Join October National Webinar this Saturday at 1pm ET

The October RESULTS National Webinar is this Saturday, October 2 at 1:00 pm ET. We will use our traditional format for this webinar:

• 1:00-1:30 pm ET: U.S. Poverty section with guest Sarah Hassmer of the National Women’s Law Center to discuss how housing and tax policies in the recovery package advance racial and gender justice
• 1:30-2:00 pm ET: Grassroots section highlighting best practices for welcoming new volunteers to RESULTS
• 2:00-2:30 pm ET: Global poverty section focused on global vaccine access

On the webinar, we will of course update you on all that happens in Congress this week and outline the critical actions you can take to advance our policy agenda forward. Please join us!

TAKE ACTION: If you have not done so already, please register for the October 2 National Webinar today. You will receive confirmation of your registration and the login info no later than this Friday. Slides for the webinar will be available on Friday. If you have questions, please contact RESULTS staff.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

New global vaccine backgrounder available. As a leader in global health and development, the United States must have a robust response to the devastating global COVID-19 pandemic in order to save lives and protect hard-fought gains in public health in low-income countries. Read more in our new global vaccines backgrounder.

Four quick takeaways from the White House COVID-19 Summit. Perhaps the most important outcome of the Summit is the United States embracing the WHO target of vaccinating at least 70 percent of the population in every country in every income category by this time next year. With only 1 percent of people in the lowest-income countries fully vaccinated today, this is an ambitious goal. Read more on our blog.

Vouchers critical to addressing homelessness and housing affordability. Read this new CBPP paper emphasizing how housing vouchers in the economic recovery bill would assist an estimated 1.7 million people, including 660,000 children, 180,000 seniors, and 330,000 people with disabilities. This post includes a breakdown of the number of vouchers by state and by race and ethnicity. A separate blog post highlights the need for an expanded voucher program to address long-term affordability and curb the eviction and homelessness crises; an estimated 9.9 million adult renters are living in households at least one month behind on rent and over 4 in 10 adults behind on rent believe eviction is at least somewhat likely in the next two months.

The Global Fund and pandemic preparedness. The Biden-Harris Administration can help reset the world’s approach to health, moving us toward the end of the existing pandemics and helping stop the next ones. Support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is key. Read more in this blogpost co-authored by RESULTS, Health GAP, Partners in Health, AVAC, Treatment Action Group, and Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Bipartisan panel discusses rural America’s housing needs. Join the Bipartisan Policy Center September 30 at 9:00 am ET to hear more from Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) about Congress meeting the housing needs of rural America. Register here.

Did you miss last week’s policy forums? Take a deep dive into our housing, tax, and pandemic preparedness work by listening to the playbacks of last week’s policy forums.

Announcements

Reminder of leadership training tonight. The GALLUP CliftonStrengths assessment helps to identify the areas where you, and your group, have the greatest potential by measuring your recurring patterns in thought, feeling, and behavior. If you have registered for tonight’s StrengthsFinder workshop, please be sure to complete the assessment and pre-work beforehand. If you have any issues in doing so, please contact Karyne Bury. Registration for tonight’s session is closed, but don’t fret! You can still register for our encore session of Discovering Yourself as a Leader Using the GALLUP CliftonStrengths Tool on October 12 at 8:30 pm ET. Register today to receive a code to do your online assessment tool that you will bring to the workshop. Join us to learn how to leverage your natural strengths to excel in leadership roles within your RESULTS group, your community, and beyond.

Have you shared your recent media with Congress? The media pieces RESULTS volunteers generate is one of the most powerful tools you have in shaping policy. When you get media published, use it as a reason to contact your Senate and House aides on our issues. If you have not submitted media to your members of Congress recently, now is the time to do it. You can find copies of all recent global and U.S. poverty media generated by RESULTS volunteers (by state) on our Media Tools page. Find it under the second tab; each packet covers media generated since March 11, 2021, when we started working on economic recovery legislation.

Apply for the RESULTS Fellowship. The RESULTS Fellowship is an 11-month program designed for activists ages 20-35 to harness the power of their voices, sharpen their advocacy and organizing skills, and be in action with dozens of other dynamic young leaders (learn more from our new Fellowship video). If you are interested in applying, go to www.results.org/fellowship. The application process closes November 1.

2021 Bob Dickerson Leadership Award open for nominations. Advocate Bob Dickerson was a bold leader who inspired everyone around him, reminding people that we have one life to live and we should live it with meaning. In his memory, we recognize an advocate’s extraordinary leadership and commitment to the mission of RESULTS with the Bob Dickerson Leadership Award. Nominations are now open through November 1. Nominees and recipient will be announced in December. Use our online form to submit a nomination.

Become a RESULTS Regional Coordinator. Regional Coordinators (RCs) are vital volunteer leaders in our network, helping to coach and support RESULTS groups around the country to be the best they can be. If you (or others) are interested in becoming a Regional Coordinator with RESULTS, or are simply interested in learning more about the role, please contact Lisa Marchal.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are in session this week. Submit your remote meeting requests today.

Tuesday, September 28: Discovering Yourself as a Leader workshop, 8:30 pm ET. Contact Karyne Bury with questions.

Saturday, October 2: RESULTS National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Tuesday, October 12: Encore Presentation: Discovering Yourself as a Leader workshop, 8:30 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar.

Thursday, October 14: Global Allies Program: Partners Ending Poverty with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Tuesday, October 19: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. If you are interested in joining, Jos Linn for more information.

Wednesday, October 20: Action Network Webinars, 12:30 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Register for the afternoon session or evening session. Registration ends one hour prior to each webinar.

Thursday, October 21: U.S. Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Thursday, October 21: Global Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Monday, October 25: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. If you are interested in joining, contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Wednesday, October 27: Motivational Interviewing training (session 2), 9:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Grassroots Resources

Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.

To update volunteer info (e.g., subscribe to the Weekly Update or action alerts, add new advocate information, update an existing advocate’s information or preferences), use our Volunteer Information Form.

Find actions and volunteer resources on our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources.

Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities.

To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Lindsay Saunders at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.

RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.