RESULTS Weekly Update December 20, 2022

Quote of the Week

“The End TB Now Act represents a rare opportunity to get the world back on track to meet the global goals of combatting tuberculosis.”

– RESULTS West Virginia volunteer Dr. Jo Reece in a December 14 op-ed in the Charleston Gazette-Mail

Table of Contents

• Not what we wanted on global campaigns, but we are not deterred
• No expanded CTC this year, but your advocacy sets us up for future success
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Not what we wanted on global campaigns, but we are not deterred

This morning, Congress introduced an omnibus bill funding the government for the 2023 Fiscal Year. You can read our newly posted press release for more detail. Remarkably, the READ Act Reauthorization and the End TB Now Act were not included in this bill. The READ Reauthorization and the End TB Now Act would provide critical support toward stymying two preventable causes of deepening global poverty: the tuberculosis epidemic and a lack of universal access to high quality education. Both educational inequity and TB prevalence worsened precipitously during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the urgency to pass both bills into law. It is heartening, however, that the omnibus maximizes funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at $2 billion, buoying collective efforts to drive down these diseases. The omnibus also increases annual funding for USAID’s bilateral efforts to fight TB by 6 percent.

The foundation of support you have built for these campaigns and policies through your advocacy will lead us into the new Congress. Your voices and passion were heard and seen. We stood for quality of life for all persons, and we will do so again. So, as we regroup and move into the new year, take heart and be ready to help chart the course again for policies that help individuals not just survive, but thrive.

No expanded CTC this year, but your advocacy sets us up for future success

It’s official. The year-end “omnibus” spending package – our last hope for an expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) – will not include any tax provisions. No corporate tax breaks and no CTC. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – and many in his caucus – opposed any sort of bipartisan compromise on the CTC. Thus, no tax deal was made.

While getting an omnibus is better than another continuing resolution (which would result in cuts to important programs), the lack of any CTC expansion is indeed a disappointment. Not just for RESULTS and our volunteers, but for the families who now face continued financial hardship. Without the CTC expansion, low- and middle-income families will pay an additional $1,000-$1,600 per child in taxes next year. The 2021 CTC was a staggering success, which makes the Senate’s failure all the more frustrating. They are burdening American families with hardship that is completely avoidable.

And please know, this is not your fault. This was a political decision made behind closed doors, based on power dynamics beyond our control. The work you have done on the CTC is nothing less than amazing. In over 300 lobby meetings (including many by advocates who traveled to Washington to lobby lawmakers directly), over 300 media pieces, calls, e-mails, and letters, you’ve kept the stories of struggling children and families front and center. That’s why the CTC was in the conversation up to the last minute.

And don’t for a minute think it was all for naught. Setbacks don’t preclude success. They merely delay it. Advocacy is cumulative. All the work you have done this year sets us up for success in the future. We don’t know the exact date when we will get another chance to expand the CTC, but we will. And because we KNOW that dramatic reductions in poverty are possible, we will be ready.

We see the time and energy you have put in day in and day out, so that one day we can live in a world where no one has to fight for survival. You work this year got us closer to that goal. We thank you for everything. So, celebrate your effort and take a much-deserved break. Enjoy the holiday, then come back in January ready to again put a shoulder to the wheel of progress. It turns because of you.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

In case you missed Expert on Poverty James Lee last week. Last week, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined faith leaders and advocates for a press conference about expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC) this year. Part of the event was RESULTS Expert on Poverty James Lee of North Carolina, who spoke about how the CTC helped his house mate and her five daughters. He said he saw a real difference in what the payments did for her family and when the payments stopped, it was completely deflating. You can watch the press conference recording online (James’ remarks start at 36:20).

Parents are struggling. As reported in USA Today, “one in 4 parents in the U.S. struggled to pay for their family’s basic needs in the past year, a new Pew Research Center survey found… 34 percent of Black parents said there were times in the past year when they could not pay for food & 39 percent said they struggled to pay the rent or mortgage. Among Hispanic parents, 31 percent struggled to buy food and 32 percent struggled with housing costs.”

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: Congress failed America’s children this year by not expanding the Child Tax Credit, which cut child poverty in half in 2021. Congress’ first New Year’s resolution must be to expand the CTC to all low-income families in 2023.
• Global Poverty: The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit took place last week and may have been covered by news outlets, providing one more week of possible hooks for our global health issues. If we are interconnected economically, are we not also in terms of the common goals of good health and well-being?

Announcements

Donate to RESULTS today! RESULTS’ vital work is made possible by the courage of our advocates, the dedication of our staff — and the generosity of supporters like you. Please make a tax-deductible gift today to empower RESULTS’ lifesaving and life-changing work in 2023. Every gift will get us closer to a more equitable, just, and healthy world. Donate to RESULTS today!

Group Roadmap materials now available. For years, RESULTS annual group planning has been integral in helping you be some of the most effective volunteer advocates around. Your Group Roadmaps are of particular importance in 2023. With a new Congress and a new congressional map, your Roadmaps will tell us how much coverage and potential impact RESULTS has. To kick off our new Set the Agenda campaign (more details to come), please schedule your group’s roadmap/planning meeting now so you can complete your 2023 Roadmaps by January 31, 2023. Your 2023 Roadmaps are in the same spreadsheet you used for your 2022 plans (contact us if you need help). Also, please review our 2023 Roadmap Guide, Individual Planning Form, and Grassroots Goals found here under the “Make your group plans”. Look for more about the planning process on our January 7 National Webinar (register here). Happy planning!

Register for the January National Webinar. Our National Webinar s ion Saturday, January 7 at 1:00 pm ET. Our guest for this webinar is Anna Dietderich, Legislative Assistant for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (I-AK). Because we have a new Zoom meeting for our 2023 webinars, everyone must register to attend. (When you register for one National Webinar, you are registered for all of them for the year). Please use our new registration page to register for the webinar today.

Researching Your Members of Congress on January 25 at 8:30 pm ET. Join Regional Coordinator Allison Gallaher for tips and tools on how to learn more about your returning or new member of Congress – what they care about, how they plan to lead, and where we can connect with our issues. Bring your questions to this 90-minute training! Register today.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are in session this week.

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

Friday, December 23-Monday, January 2: RESULTS Holiday Break. All RESULTS offices closed.

Saturday, January 7: Monthly National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today. Guest: Anna Dietderich, Legislative Assistant for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (I-AK).

Thursday, January 12: Global Allies Partnership Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Register today.

Tuesday, January 17: Together Women Rise Introduction to Advocacy Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Join at this link.

Tuesday, January 17: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET. Choose the time best for you. Contact Jos Linn for information on how to join.

Wednesday, January 18: Action Network Managers Webinar, 12:30 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Choose the time best for you. Click for the 12:30 pm ET session or click for the 8:00 pm ET session. No registration required.

Wednesday, January 18: Media Office Hour, 2:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom at Join with this link or dial (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494. No registration required.

Thursday, January 19: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register today.

Thursday, January 19: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register today.

Monday, January 23: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for information on how to join.

Wednesday, January 25: Researching Your Members of Congress, 8:30 pm ET. Register today.

Thursday, February 9: Grassroots Town Hall Discussion, 8:30 pm ET. Topic: “What does the RESULTS Board do and how do leaders make change within RESULTS?” Stay tuned for Zoom link.

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.

RESULTS wishes you a safe and joyous holiday season! Happy New Year and we will see you in January.