RESULTS Weekly Update November 4, 2025
Quote of the Week
“Health care, food and shelter are basic rights.”
– RESULTS Dallas advocate Natalia Rodriguez-Sosa in November 2 letter to the editor in the Dallas Morning News
(Is this newsletter too long; didn’t read (TL;DR) the whole thing? Scroll to the bottom for the most important points or the “TL;DR”)
Congress needs to fully fund SNAP during the shutdown
Today marks week six of the federal government shutdown. Despite the suffering of millions, Congress remains paralyzed. Yet there’s a glimmer of good news. On Friday, two federal judges ordered the Trump Administration to use the SNAP contingency fund for November benefits — something it had refused to do. The White House has now agreed to release those funds, a major victory for the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP and for RESULTS advocates whose years of work helped make this possible.
But the fight isn’t over. The contingency fund covers only half of November’s $8 billion in benefits, meaning families will face a 50 percent cut and delayed payments. The Administration has other funds it could use but has chosen not to. SNAP benefits average just $7 per person per day. Any cut — much less a 50 percent cut — will be devastating.
Call and email your members of Congress every day during this crisis. Urge them to demand that the Administration immediately release all SNAP contingency funds and use legally available transfers to fill the gap in November benefits, just as it has for WIC. Forcing children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities to go hungry is not a mistake, it is a policy choice. Tell your representatives and senators to make a different one.
Also, please be sure to see our new Shutdown Action Guide for action-taking support. And see our new Shutdown Resource Guide for connections with local resources to help with covering basic needs during the shutdown.
Push Congress to act with your local media
Your media is critical right now in ending this manufactured shutdown crisis. This is your chance to remind Congress that you’re frustrated with their performance and that they must put constituents first.
That’s what our 600 Voices Media Campaign is all about. 2025 is ending much like it began, with renewed attacks on the policies that have reduced poverty for decades. First USAID at the start of the year, then SNAP and Medicaid in the spring, and now SNAP and health care during the shutdown. These programs provide vital services to millions in the U.S. and worldwide. They deserve our defense.
So far this year, you’ve published 460 media pieces — a remarkable achievement. Our goal of 600 pieces by the end of the year is ambitious, but the impact is clear. Your media advocacy helped restart global health funding after the USAID cuts, staved off even worse policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill, and can now help ensure families are fed and supported during this shutdown.
Submit a letter to the editor each week until the end of the year. Help us reach our goal of 600 published media pieces by the end of the year. But more importantly, keep the issues you care enough to write about front and center with lawmakers. Use your voice to call elected officials into leadership and into action. Use our updated media action alert to submit your next letter today. And check our media hooks tracker for hooks for getting published. Reach out to Jos Linn for any media questions.
Announcements
Listen to November National Webinar. We were privileged to have a fantastic guest on our November webinar. Sachiko Osawa offered us best practices to help our organizing both take root and have wings. You’ll also hear the latest around the government shutdown, hear about our government shutdown action guide and resources, and gain an understanding of the shutdown’s impact on SNAP and other issues.
Last days to nominate for a RESULTS Grassroots Award. Nominations are now being accepted for the Bob Dickerson Leadership Award and Cameron Duncan Media Award. You may nominate as many people as you like (please do separate submissions). The deadline for nominations is tomorrow, November 5. Nominees and recipients will be announced in December. Contact Joanna DiStefano for more information.
Hold a Friends and Family fundraiser. We know the colder months can bring even more challenges to families. But it is also a time when some look for ways to give back and give thanks. Inviting your community to support your advocacy via a Friends and Family fundraiser is not only meaningful to RESULTS, but to the donors themselves who get the opportunity to join you in making a difference. If you would like to create your own fundraiser, visit www.results.org/fundraise. Contact Melissa Strobel at [email protected] for questions and coaching.
Join a special Global Allies webinar next week. Calling all Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, allies, and RESULTS advocates! Join our next Global Allies Program webinar on Thursday, November 13 at 1 p.m. ET. The webinar will feature Christopher Wurst, producer of the newly launched “SoftPower/FulStories” podcast. Christopher relies on first-person stories to highlight the personal side of US soft power, foreign assistance, and cultural diplomacy. These are stories that show the importance and lasting impact (overseas and here at home) of constructive U.S. engagement. Register today!
TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) Check out our Shutdown Action Guide for action-taking resources. Keep writing and submitting letters to the editor as part of our ”600 Voices” media campaign. Catch up on the last weekend’s National Webinar. Nominate a fellow advocate for a 2025 RESULTS Grassroots Award. Hold a Friends and Family fundraiser. And consider attending the upcoming Global Allies webinar.
Quick Links: Action Center, Events Calendar, National Webinar recordings