RESULTS Weekly Update July 9, 2024

July 9, 2024

Quote of the Week

“We squander their life-saving power if the vaccines never reach communities that need them most.”

– RESULTS Salt Lake City volunteer Preston Waldrop in a June 18 letter to the editor in the Salt Lake Tribune

Table of Contents

Join Saturday’s National Webinar with CMF’s Brad Fitch

Join us this Saturday, July 13 for an exciting monthly National Webinar. The theme is “Advocacy with Congress in a Post-Pandemic World” with Brad Fitch of the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF). In December 2023, CMF conducted an exclusive survey of congressional staff, the first such survey since Congress resumed meetings with constituents in Washington, DC. They asked staff various questions on how advocates can best lobby Congress in a post-pandemic world. On the webinar. Mr. Fitch will share their findings, including how it compares to CMF’s previous survey research. Mr. Fitch offers this guidance in the context of the 2024 election season, and will offer tips on how to employ these advocacy strategies in a campaign setting. Also on the webinar, we will announce the winner of the Board election, provide campaign updates, and share resources to help you take action. Don’t miss this informative webinar!

TAKE ACTION: Register for the July National Webinar at www.tinyurl.com/RESULTS2024. The webinar is this Saturday, July 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Once registered, registrants will receive their confirmation and Zoom link a day or two before the webinar (be sure to check your junk mail if you don’t see it). You can find the slides and recordings from all our webinars on our National Webinars page. If you have questions, please contact RESULTS staff.

Congress is in session for 14 out of the next 60 days – make them count

The House and Senate are in session this week, a rare instance this summer. Between now and September 6, one or both chambers of Congress will be in session for only 14 days. Does anyone wonder why their to-do list is so long? In this rare week when both chambers are in, let’s make sure we are taking actions to make the biggest impact.

  1. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, needs continued support. During the recent pre-pledging conference for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Biden Administration pledged at least $1.58 billion over five years. It’s an unprecedented type of pledge by the U.S. in terms of size. Now we must see that the pledge becomes reality as we approach the full fall replenishment conference and work through the budget process. We must treat this pledge as a floor, not a ceiling. Under the pledge, Gavi would get $300 million in fiscal year 2025 (FY25). However, RESULTS’ FY25 Gavi funding request remains $340 million (read more). To get us there, we need more co-sponsors for the Gavi resolutions currently in the Senate (Res. 684) and House (H.Res.1286). Gavi’s new five-year plan, unveiled recently, could save the lives of 8 million children. Use our online action today to gather co-sponsors. Let’s get to work!
  2. Urge Congress to protect SNAP. A new Farm Bill is overdue from Congress. However, the recent House-proposed Farm Bill, which reauthorizes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a non-starter. SNAP is the last line of defense against hunger in America. SNAP lifts millions from poverty each year. With benefits already low (averaging around $7 per day per person), the House bill would cut SNAP benefits by $30 billion over the next decade. Congress should increase benefits, not cut them. It is important to push back strongly at this and any proposal that would cut SNAP benefits, limit eligibility, or restrict food choice for SNAP beneficiaries. If you have not contacted your House and Senate offices recently, use our online action to tell them to protect SNAP (and reiterate that message in your summer meeting postcards). Also, use our new SNAP letter to the editor alert to call on lawmakers in the media to protect and strengthen SNAP in the Farm Bill.
  3. Urge Congress to take action on housing. On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Grants Pass v. Johnson that the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment does not extend to laws that criminalize homelessness. Effectively, it is now legal to criminally punish people for tending to their basic needs in public, even when there is no alternative shelter available. This decision will open the floodgates for communities to criminalize homelessness. This makes it incumbent on Congress to act. Please submit a letter to the editor today decrying the Grants Pass decision and urging Congress to act.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Join town hall in response to homelessness case. On June 28, the Supreme Court ruled that cities and communities across the country may punish people experiencing homelessness criminally with fines, fees, and even jail time. Join RESULTS and allies fighting homelessness to learn how this landmark decision will impact people experiencing homelessness and those working to end it. You’ll also hear what to expect next, what actions you can take with your lawmakers, and how you can engage others to push back on policies that punish people experiencing homelessness and poverty. The webinar town hall is Thursday, July 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Register today!

Thank you for showing support for SNAP. The last few weeks, RESULTS and our allies have been gathering signatures from national and state groups urging Congress to protect and strengthen SNAP in the new Farm Bill. In the end, over 1,400 groups signed on, including many local RESULTS groups. Thank you for helping push Congress to pass a Farm Bill that reduces hunger, not make it worse. View the final letter with group signers.

Announcements

Join election advocacy training next week. Election season is an opportunity to build relationships with people running for office and elevate poverty issues with the public. To capitalize on this, please join us for our “Making the Elections about Poverty” webinar. On this webinar, we’ll share ideas on how to effectively find, engage, and “birddog” candidates to raise our poverty issues. If you want to make the most of your advocacy in this election, please join us for this important training. The webinar is Wednesday, July 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Register today!

Summer meetings are a big success! Thank you to all of you who have gathered in-person this summer to take action. As of today, you’ve had 22 gatherings in 16 states, with 26 more confirmed or being planned. Collectively, more than 310 people have taken 300 actions as part of the On the Record campaign. Out of this, 22 people want to join local RESULTS groups, and 24 are joining local action networks. Thank you all! And it’s not too late to plan your own gathering. We are promoting them all summer. Take your advocacy on the road (even if it’s just up the road), engage new people, and call on Congress to end poverty. Find resources to help on our Community of Change page. For staff support, join our Outreach Office Hour with RESULTS staff this Thursday, July 11 at 2:00 p.m. ET (see Zoom link below). And after your meeting, please let us know how it went by completing our new Outreach Report Form.

2025 RESULTS Fellowship application is now open. The RESULTS Fellowship has become one of the most powerful programs at RESULTS. Many current leaders in RESULTS started out as Fellows. We are now accepting applications for the 2025 Fellowship class. If you know someone who would make a great Fellow, please urge them to apply today.

Please submit your lobby reports. If you have not yet reported a lobby meeting in 2024, please complete the RESULTS Lobby Report Form.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule: This week, both the House and Senate are in session.

Find these and other events on our website Events Calendar.

Thursday, July 11: Outreach and Event Planning Office Hour, 2:00 p.m. ET. Drop in at https://results.zoom.us/j/94004748060, meeting ID 940 0474 8060.

Thursday, July 11: Global Allies Program (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), 8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more.

Saturday, July 13: National Webinar, 1:00 p.m. ET. Guest: Brad Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. Register for the webinar.

Tuesday, July 16: Together Women Rise advocacy chapter webinar, 8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more about this opportunity.

Wednesday, July 17: Making the Elections About Poverty, 8:30 p.m. ET. Register today.

Thursday, July 18: City of Grants Pass v. Johnson: Grassroots Townhall and Conversation with Local Activists and Organizers, 1:00 p.m. ET. Register for this important webinar.

Monday, July 22: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 p.m. ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Tuesday, July 23: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.

Wednesday, July 24: Media Office Hour, 2:00 p.m. ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or call (312) 626-6799, meeting ID 936 6800 5494.

Wednesday, July 31, New Advocate Mentor Community Call, 8:00 p.m. ET. Register today.

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

Grassroots Resources

 

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