RESULTS Weekly Update February 21, 2023

Today we honor friend and advocate, La’Shon Marshall who we tragically lost one year ago. We encourage you to visit her tribute page and share remembrances of La’Shon. 

Table of Contents

• Make global health and education appropriations a priority with Congress
• House and Senate are on recess – meet with lawmakers to talk about poverty
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Make global health and education appropriations a priority with Congress

During our Set the Agenda campaign, we are blanketing Congress, meeting with as many representatives and senators that we cover as possible. Great work so far! On our Set the Agenda meeting map, you can spot every place where advocates have held congressional meetings so far this session. Let’s keep adding to that map!

Congress is beginning to consider fiscal year (FY24) spending priorities via appropriations. During the appropriations process, global poverty alleviation gets – or doesn’t get – funding. Global issues like malnutrition, tuberculosis, education, and maternal/child health are being considered. We have the chance to speak up for specific, life-saving funding levels for these areas. This is where you come in. Will you weigh in with your legislators, letting members of Congress know what funding levels we would like to see appropriated?

TAKE ACTION: Work with your group to set up lobby meetings now with your members of Congress. Plan to talk about appropriations for our global poverty priorities. (Contact Katie Fleischer to schedule a lobby prep call for your group. Our policy staff is ready to help you prepare for your lobby meetings.) We have a sample meeting request letter plus appropriations memos, issue backgrounders, and more. You can find these and other resources on our Set the Agenda and Lobbying webpages. Our January and February Global Poverty Policy Forums, focused on appropriations, are also available for you. You can then encourage other advocates in your circle to support your lobby meetings by writing Congress about our global appropriations priorities. Use our February Action Sheet as the agenda for a local RESULTS meeting and start writing!

House and Senate are on recess – meet with lawmakers to talk about poverty

With the Presidents’ Day holiday, senators and representatives are home this week. What a perfect time to talk to them about the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Renter Tax Credit (RTC).

New IRS data shows that the average tax refund this year is almost eleven percent lower than this time last year. This is due in large part to the expiration of the 2021 Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit provisions. With inflation still high, these lower refunds will cause even greater hardship for those with low-incomes.

Also, with interest rates higher, fewer people are buying homes and opting to rent instead. This puts more pressure on the rental market, driving up prices. When rent prices go up, those with low-income get squeezed out. Providing renters with a Renter Tax Credit that kicks in when rent becomes unaffordable can mean the difference between housing stability and homelessness.

This is why we lobby Congress. Expanding the CTC and creating an RTC will make a dramatic difference in the lives of millions of people. But they won’t magically appear. They happen because people speak up. We have to speak up so the people experiencing poverty are not left behind. Lobbying your members of Congress for these policies will help ensure that they aren’t.

TAKE ACTION: Use this week’s recess to schedule your Set the Agenda lobby meetings. If you cannot get a meeting this week, set one up as soon as possible (preferably face-to-face with the lawmaker; key staff if that is not an option). Use our Set the Agenda and Lobbying pages to find a sample meeting request, laser talks, policy requests, background briefs, and more. If you have not done so already, please contact Katie Fleischer to schedule a call with RESULTS staff to prep you for your lobby meetings. Finally, once your lobby meeting is done, please fill out our lobby report form with the details of what happened so we can strategize next steps and fill our Set the Agenda map!

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Watch last week’s policy forums. If you want insights on talking about our U.S. and global campaign priorities with members of Congress – especially less receptive ones –check out our February U.S. and Global Poverty Policy Forums. RESULTS staff walked us through how to use “motivational interviewing” to have effective conversations about our issues with challenging offices.

RESULTS Blog: Relive your 2022 successes. Check out our new RESULTS Blog post for a recap of your 2022 legislative successes and how to build on them in 2023. Also, read our recent blog posts from our excellent policy staff on the Child Tax Credit, Renter Tax Credit, and global education. They are great resources for your own learning and upcoming lobby meetings.

Media hook for the week. Use the hook ideas below to submit a letter to the editor this week. If you need a template, use our online media actions to edit and submit your letter today.

• U.S. Poverty: Use the congressional recess this week as a hook to remind your members of Congress that 19 million children are excluded from the full value of the Child Tax Credit and that they need to fix it.
• Global Poverty: USAID has a new blog titled “Fighting Malnutrition in Ghana,” and March 8 is International Women’s Day. Utilize either of these hooks – together or separately – for a media piece this week!

Announcements

Need media coaching? Join media office hour tomorrow. If you want to up your media advocacy game but need help getting started, finding hooks, locating data, or anything else, join RESULTS staff for our media office hour tomorrow, February 22 at 2:00pm ET. Join via Zoom at: https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID: 936 6800 5494.

Have you heard about the READ and End Tuberculosis Now Acts? We have some exciting news! The READ Act (global education) Reauthorization Act has been reintroduced in Congress (S.41, H.R.681), and the End Tuberculosis Now Act has been reintroduced in the Senate. Let your community know of these important pieces of legislation and ask your legislators to co-sponsor.

Group Leader Office Hour on Thursday. Have questions about group leadership? Craving some top tips for the Group Leader role? Need extra support or just want to connect? Join Group Leader Lisa Peters and RESULTS staffer Lisa Marchal on Thursday, February 23 at 8:00 pm ET. Bring your dilemmas, thoughts, and questions. Just pop in any time during the 60-minute session. No registration needed; join at https://results.zoom.us/j/6602641580.

Register for March National Webinar. Join us for the RESULTS National Webinar on Saturday, March 4 at 1:00 pm ET. We have booked exciting guests. To discuss our U.S. Poverty campaign priorities, we are thrilled to have Stacy Pollard from Family Promise and Cara Baldari from First Focus join us. They will explain why their organizations support policies that help families and children. To discuss our Global Poverty campaign priorities, a USAID official will join us to speak about U.S. government’s global health leadership and the need to fight tuberculosis globally. Don’t miss these great speakers. Register for the webinar today!

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are on recess through February 26.

Typically, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Tuesday, February 21: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1 pm and 9 pm ET (your choice). Contact Jos Linn for information on how to join.

Tuesday, February 21: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Register today.

Tuesday, February 21: Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter Webinar with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Read more.

Wednesday, February 22: Media Office Hour, 2:00 pm ET. Bring your media-writing questions. No registration required. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494.

Thursday, February 23: Diversity and Inclusion 101, 3:00 pm ET. Click for more information and registration details for this 90-minute session.

Thursday, February 23: Group Leader Office Hour, 8:00 pm ET. Join any time during the 60-minute session. No registration needed; join at https://results.zoom.us/j/6602641580.

Monday, February 27: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for information on how to join.

Saturday, March 4: Monthly National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today.

Wednesday, March 15: Action Network Managers Webinar, 12:30 pm and 8:00 pm ET (your choice). Join the 12:30 pm ET webinar at https://results.zoom.us/j/93288388695. Join the 8:00 pm ET webinar at https://results.zoom.us/j/91531456676. No registration required.

Wednesday, March 15: New Advocate Orientation, 8:00 pm ET. Register today.

Thursday, March 16: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register today.

Thursday, March 16: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register today.

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.