RESULTS Weekly Update August 9, 2022

Quote of the Week

“The world is experiencing a perfect storm — pandemic, war in Ukraine destroying harvests and global inflation jacking up food prices — that’s left millions of parents unable to feed their children.”

– RESULTS Philadelphia volunteer Betsy Teutsch in a July 4 letter to the editor in the Philadelphia Inquirer

Table of Contents

• Senate passes IRA, but still no CTC
• READ Act co-sponsors especially needed in Senate
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Senate passes IRA, but still no CTC

After more than a year of laborious negotiations, the Senate finally passed its budget reconciliation bill over the weekend. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) makes long-overdue investments to address climate change, health care costs, tax fairness, and deficit reduction (for more details on the IRA, see our latest RESULTS Blog post).

But the IRA is still missing one key provision – the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC).

This is not a surprise. We have known for weeks that renewing the expanded CTC was not going to be part of the Senate’s reconciliation bill. But that doesn’t make it right. The Senate has missed a big opportunity. In a bill designed to help with inflation, why not send tens of millions of American families monthly CTC payments to help with the increased costs?

Mind you, this does not take away from the good things in the Inflation Reduction Act. Making prescription drugs more affordable, making the tax code more equitable, addressing the impacts of climate change, and reducing the debt are important steps forward. But considering the CTC’s success in reducing poverty, hunger, and hardship last year, it should have been part of it.

Fortunately, we have another chance. Because certain corporate tax breaks were not extended in the IRA, Congress is more likely to take up a tax bill after the election. Our job now is to make sure a CTC expansion is in that bill.

TAKE ACTION: Make it clear to your members of Congress that any tax legislation that passes in 2022 must include the expanded Child Tax Credit. It is irresponsible and immoral for Congress to give corporations more tax cuts without also helping children and families get out of poverty. They need to hear this message now. Here’s how you can help:

1. Attend local town halls events your members of Congress and congressional candidates are holding this month. Ask them to commit to expanding the CTC. Use the August 2022 U.S. Poverty Action to draft a powerful, personal CTC question for these events. RESULTS also has new laser talks you can use.
2. Submit a letter to the editor on the CTC. Use our newly updated letter to the editor action to tell your members of Congress to pass a CTC extension in tax legislation this year. Use news stories about the Inflation Reduction Act as a hook for your letters. Also, use these tips to personalize your letter to the editor.

READ Act co-sponsors especially needed in Senate

The READ Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 would reauthorize the original 2017 READ Act for another five years, enabling the U.S. to lead on global equity in access to education. It’s a critically important piece of legislation, designed to help improve literacy and numeracy, boost monitoring and evaluation, and help the U.S. contribute to meaningful progress in helping children across the globe access quality education. So far, the legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate (H.R.7240, S.3938), and it has also passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

As we call for more co-sponsors in the House and call for House leadership to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, we must also especially gain Senate co-sponsors. Our August Global Poverty Action Sheet will help you do that. Track the progress of the READ Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 and check to see if your members of Congress are supporters. Then put your advocacy know-how into action.

TAKE ACTION: Use our new August Global Poverty Action Sheet on the READ Act to reach out specifically to your senators about co-sponsorship, write a letter to the editor, or ask a question at a townhall. Or utilize our latest action alert to contact both the House and the Senate, asking for co-sponsors and asking House leadership to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. We have a chance to ensure that the U.S. continues to lead in supporting quality, accessible education for all. Let’s take it.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

House CTC letter has closed – no action needed right now. The House CTC letter for which we have been seeking signers the last few weeks has now closed. Because certain corporate tax provisions were not included in the Inflation Reduction Act, the CPC quickly decided to close the letter. There is no need to seek more signers at this time. The CPC may amend the letter and reopen it for more signers; we will keep you posted. In the meantime, thank you for your efforts to get your members of Congress to sign on.

End TB Now Act open for co-sponsors in both House and Senate. Tuberculosis (TB) has plagued humanity for generations, and it is the second leading infectious disease killer in the world after COVID-19. Even though it is preventable, treatable, and curable, TB takes the lives of 1.4 million people annually, exploiting and exacerbating poverty and disproportionally hurting the marginalized. The End TB Now Act (S.3386/H.R.8654) are bipartisan bills directing USAID to set bold targets to reach and treat the most vulnerable populations for all forms of TB. Read more about the legislation on our fall campaigns page and use our new TB laser talk to request that your senators and representative co-sponsor the legislation today.

Global malnutrition update. We have encouraging news on the Senate version of the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021. In the last few days, the bill has been placed on the Senate’s unanimous consent calendar. This means leadership intends to bring the bill up for a unanimous consent vote (essentially a voice vote without debate) at some point this fall. Barring any objections, the bill would pass quickly. With the Senate on recess until after Labor Day, any action will not happen until September. There is no action needed at this time and we will keep you posted on progress. In the meantime, thank you – such a move would not have happened without your strong advocacy on the bill.

Media hooks of the week. To help you in your media advocacy, here are suggested media “hooks” this week to use in letters to the editor:

• U.S. Poverty: The Senate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act is all over the news. Use stories about the IRA to talk about Congress’ unfinished business – dramatically reducing child poverty by passing the expanded Child Tax Credit.
• Global Poverty: Child wasting is a cruel and devastating condition that robs young people of life and a future. New data on this scourge is now available from UNICEF. Use it to write a personal, powerful letter. Illustrate what is at stake if we don’t act.

Announcements

Join candidate engagement training tonight! There is much at stake in the fall elections, and people can feel it—so many of us are yearning to make a difference. This is a perfect time to tap into the energy and angst around elections and recruit new advocates. It’s also a great time to ensure that RESULTS issues are discussed in the public. Join us to learn how to make the most of election townhalls and other public events. In addition to learning the tactics of “birddogging” candidates, you’ll get ideas about engaging people in your community in the transformational advocacy of birddogging. The training is Tuesday August 9 at 8:30 pm ET. Join using this Zoom link or dial 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 967 3380 6790, passcode: 764508.

Review your Roadmaps this month. Now is a good time to do a mid-year review of your 2022 Group Roadmaps. At your next scheduled group meeting in August, take stock on the things you’ve accomplished this year, and what you set out to accomplish for the balance of 2022. This will help set you up for success in the coming months, particularly as we emphasize outreach and group health for the remainder of 2022. Use our Mid-year Roadmap Review Guide and Mid-Year Group Health Check to help with your review.

2022 fall campaigns information. Looking for helpful laser talks on our issues? Want to grab some support materials for recruiting new advocates to your group? We have a one-stop shop for our fall campaigns resources, including both issues and outreach materials. Take a look!

Register for next week’s August Policy Forums. Our monthly Policy Forums return this month on Thursday, August 18! For the U.S. Forum at 8:00 pm ET, we’re going back to the basics with a focus on the intersection between housing and the tax code. Michael Santos, RESULTS Senior Policy Associate, will provide critical updates on our housing work, a deep dive on renter’s tax credits and its impact, and the work ahead to make our tax system an effective fiscal tool to provide relief for struggling renters. Immediately following, at 9:00 pm ET, the Global Poverty Policy Forum will provide details on our fall global legislative priorities around health, education, and nutrition, with a focus on impact and equity. Be sure to register for the U.S. Forum here and/or the Global Forum here.

Could you be a Regional Coordinator? Knowledgeable coach. Persistent collaborator. Advocacy leader. These phrases, and more, describe the work of a volunteer Regional Coordinator. We are so fortunate to have a wonderful group of Regional Coordinators in the RESULTS network. Could you be one? We’re recruiting. Watch this brief and helpful video about the role (featuring current Regional Coordinator Yesenia Sanchez) and inquire to Lisa Marchal at [email protected].

Register for August 23 Diversity and Inclusion 101 training. Join our work to dismantle systems of oppression and help reach the goal of having all RESULTS volunteers attend our “Diversity and Inclusion 101” training this year. Sessions resume next month, starting on Tuesday, August 23 at 12:00 pm ET. Seating is limited so register today.

Apply for the 2023 RESULTS Fellowship. We are now accepting applications for the 2023 class of the RESULTS Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship. For all the details on eligibility and how to apply, check out our website. Applications close October 31.

Building Resilience in Challenging Times. In a world where many lives have been lost to a global pandemic, senseless gun violence, eroding rights, and continued oppression of marginalized groups, we must learn to transform our world and create a better reality. This 90-min workshop on August 27 at 11:00 am ET, led by Dr. Josiane Bonté Apollon PhD, LMHC, will be a self-care session on collective grief from the global perspective and aims to help build resilience. Join us as we move from hopelessness to being more resilient and compassionate, and gain the energy to continue to be strong advocates for the world we want to create. Click here to join.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are on recess this week (the House will return on Friday to vote on the Inflation Reduction Act).

Unless otherwise noted, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Tuesday, August 9: Candidate Engagement Training, 8:30 pm ET. Join using this Zoom link or dial 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 967 3380 6790, passcode: 764508.

Thursday, August 11: Global Allies Program (with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), 8:30 pm ET. Register today!

Tuesday, August 16, U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information on how to join.

Tuesday, August 16, Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Find more information here.

Thursday, August 18: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Focus: Using the tax code to address America’s housing problem. Register here.

Thursday, August 18: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Focus: Fall global campaigns overview. Register here.

Monday, August 22: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for more information on how to join.

Tuesday, August 23: Diversity and Inclusion 101, 12:00 pm ET. Register here.

Saturday, August 27: Building Resilience in Challenging Times, 11:00 am ET. Read more and join here.

Monday, September 5: Labor Day holiday. All RESULTS offices closed.

Saturday, September 10: Monthly National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register here.

Monday, September 12: At the Intersection of Poverty and Climate Change, 8:30 pm ET. Hosted by the Global Allies Program – Partners Ending Poverty with RESULTS and RPCVs4 Environmental Action in partnership with Drawdown Lift. Register here.

Thursday, September 15: Understanding and Interrupting Microaggressions, 11:00 am ET. Facilitated by Peace Learning Center. Seats limited. Register here.

Grassroots Resources

Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.

Find actions and volunteer resources on our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources. To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].

Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities. Also, use our Volunteer Information Form to add or edit volunteer info and to sign up for updates and alerts.

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.