U.S. Poverty Weekly Update March 21, 2017
U.S. Poverty Campaigns
Weekly Update | March 21, 2017
“Now more than ever, we must stand up and fight against any structural changes – like so-called ‘block grants’ – to effective anti-poverty programs that would undermine how well they work.”
—RESULTS Alabama volunteer and REAL Change Fellow Haley Kendrick in a March 10 op-ed at AL.com
In This Week’s Update:
- Got Two Minutes? Invite Someone New to a Free Agents and Intro Call (March Action)
- Got Ten Minutes? Use Medicaid Threats to Get New People into Action (March Action)
- Got Twenty Minutes? Tell Congress the Kind of World You Want at the RESULTS International Conference
- Quick News
- Upcoming Events
Quick Media Action: Remind Congress that Americans Want a Strong Safety Net
Got Two Minutes? Invite Someone New to a Free Agent and Intro Call (March Action)
In a month, the Medicaid program, which covered an estimated 97 million low-income Americans in 2015, could be dismantled. Leaders on Congress are working tirelessly to pass their health care bill before the next recess, which begins on April 10. This would be disastrous for low-income Americans. An estimated 14 million of them would lose health coverage under Medicaid by 2026, and millions more could face cuts in services and access to care as a results of their bill. Last night, House leaders released their proposed changes to the American Health Care Act, which includes even deeper Medicaid cuts.
It’s all hands on deck. We need as many people as possible speaking out against this plan. If you know someone who is willing to jump in and take action on this issue, invite them to join our Free Agents call tonight. They will get a quick overview of our work on Medicaid and specific actions they can take to make a difference.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to invite new people to get into action to protect Medicaid. Invite someone you know to our U.S. Free Agents call today at 8:00pm ET. To participate, login at http://fuze.me/32256018 or dial by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32256018#. Help us save Medicaid by adding new voices to this fight.
Also, let them know that we have bi-monthly Introductory calls they can also attend. The Intro Call will give them more background on RESULTS and how to get involved long-term. The next Intro Call is this Friday, March 24 at 1:00 pm ET. Anyone can register for an upcoming Intro Call on the RESULTS website.
Got Ten Minutes? Get Others to Join You in Calling Congress to Stop Efforts to Gut Medicaid (March Action)
This This Thursday the House will vote on the American Health Care Act. This bill will take away health coverage from 24 million Americans and is a grave threat to the health and well-being of millions of low-income Americans, many of them children, elderly, or persons with disabilities. It will take all we have and all we can do to prevent this plan from becoming law. To help us engage others in this effort, tomorrow RESULTS will send out an email blast you can forward to others and share via social media, urging our representatives to oppose this bill. Even if your representative is firmly decided (check out this NPR tool to see what policymakers are saying), let’s make sure they hear loud and clear from constituents who oppose cuts to health coverage, especially for many vulnerable Americans who participate in Medicaid. Then, be on the lookout for another email blast that you can share so we can stop this proposal – or any proposals that gut the Medicaid program – in the Senate.
The stakes are too high not to enlist as many voices as possible in this critical fight to preserve decency and compassion in our public policy.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to call your own representative, urging them to oppose the House health bill (the American Health Care Act) and specifically highlight your concerns about how the proposal will end Medicaid as we know it. Then, share the action with others by forwarding our email and/or sharing our blogpost to get others active as well.
Interested in engaging people further, including in local outreach events and trainings? The March Action and our March 2017 National Webinar resources have resources to help you, including one-page Action Sheets on Medicaid, SNAP, and the EITC, as well as various PowerPoint presentations you can tailor to your particular needs. Find them on our Outreach Resources page.
Got Twenty Minutes? Tell Congress the Kind of World You Want at the RESULTS International Conference
In July, the RESULTS International Conference will take place (July 22-25). For those of you who have been to one of our conferences, we’ll have all the things that make it great. Amazing speakers, innovative trainings, up-to-date issue briefings, and a powerful Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. But this year is also very different. We are facing a daunting challenge not only as advocates for the end of poverty, but also as a country. With Congress and the Administration taking aim at core services that help America’s most vulnerable populations, we are standing at a crossroads. Will we be a country that relishes attack over compassion, fear over courage?
You can answer that question with us in DC this summer. The RESULTS International Conference is one of the few events where courage, compassion, love, and action are on full display. It is a microcosm of what many of us value for our country and our world. Friends and strangers alike gathering together in community for a common cause – making the world a better place tomorrow than what it is today.
Despite all the great things you see, learn and hear at the Conference, anyone who comes to a RESULTS Conference knows that the best part is the people you meet there. So in July, when it’s hot and sticky outside and the news has gotten you down, wouldn’t you like to be somewhere where you’ll find comfort, inspiration, and the drive to keep going? Then join us in DC this summer. And not only come yourself, bring someone with you. Let some you know experience the excitement and empowerment each unique RESULTS Conference brings forth.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to register for the 2017 RESULTS International Conference today! Join us in DC for this pivotal moment in our nation’s history and stand up for a just and compassionate world. Once you’re done registering, take the balance of your twenty minutes to invite someone new to join you. Perhaps another member of your local RESULTS group who has not been to a Conference or someone you know who would benefit from the experience (remember, the Conference is great for outreach).
Quick News
Keep Up the Media Push to Protect Medicaid. RESULTS volunteers have already gotten over 100 media pieces published in 2017 about protecting anti-poverty programs. Keep the pressure on by drafting and sending a letter to the editor urging your members of Congress to oppose dismantling Medicaid. Use our online media alert to send a letter telling your representatives and senators by name to protect Medicaid from cuts and structural changes.
Get Tools for Better Outreach. We face a unique opportunity at this moment. Countless people are waking up to the fact that apathy and disengagement are no longer an option in our political process. They want to get involved… but they don’t know what to do or how to do it. Join us for It’s Go Time: Tools and Practices for Engaging your Community in Advocacy, a webinar about taking advantage of this moment to do outreach and provide advocacy skills training to others. We’ll discuss why sharing our skills and doing outreach is important at this time, the various kinds of outreach you can, and what resources RESULTS has available to help you. You’ll also hear from volunteers on recent outreach activities they’ve used to engage new people in their communities. To join, login at http://fuze.me/34577774 or dial in at (201) 479-4595, meeting ID# 34577774#.
New Trump “Skinny Budget”. Last week, the Trump Administration released its “skinny budget”, a brief outline of its budget priorities for FY2018 (a more complete plan will be released later this spring). The plan would deeply cut funding for the afterschool programs, housing assistance, and foreign aid, to name a few. RESULTS released a statement last week condemning these budget cuts as misguided and dangerous for millions living in poverty.
“The New Jim Crow” Virtual Book Club Got Off to a Great Start. Last week, volunteers and staff participated in our first “virtual book club” to discuss The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. It was an informative and engaging discussion. If you are interested in exploring the relationship between racism, mass incarceration, poverty, and advocacy, please join us. Even if you missed the first session, you are still welcomed. The next webinar is this Thursday, March 30 at 8:00 pm ET. To participate in the webinar, login at http://fuze.me/34326078 or dial in by phone (201) 479-4595 Meeting ID: 34326078#. Please read chapters 2 and 3 of the book before the webinar.
Getting Too Many E-mails? If you feel like you get too many e-mails (or not enough) from RESULTS, go to http://capwiz.com/results/mlm/verify/ and scroll to the bottom of the page to manage your subscription with us.
Please Send in your Group Plans. Please finish and submit your First 100 Days Plan ASAP at: www.tinyurl.com/First100Plan.
Upcoming Events
Go to the RESULTS Events Calendar to see a full list of RESULTS events. Also, find a list of the RESULTS U.S. Poverty staff with contact information on the RESULTS website.
Upcoming staff vacations: Jos Linn, March 18-26.
Upcoming Congressional Recesses: House and Senate, April 10-21.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, March 21 at 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. To participate, login at http://fuze.me/32256018 or dial by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32256018#.
RESULTS Introductory Call, Friday, March 24 at 1:00 pm ET. If you want to learn more about RESULTS, register for an Intro Call on the RESULTS website.
RESULTS Race and Advocacy “Book Club” Webinar, Thursday, March 30 at 8:00 pm ET. Join this conversation around the book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration In the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander. Please read chapters 2 and 3 of the book before the webinar. To participate, login at http://fuze.me/34326078 or dial in by phone (201) 479-4595 Meeting ID: 34326078#.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Saturday, April 8 at 12:30 pm ET. Participate at http://fuze.me/32255914 or (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#. Listen to previous webinars on our National Webinars page.
It’s Go Time: Tools and Practices for Engaging your Community in Advocacy (Webinar), Wednesday, April 12 at 9:00 pm ET. To join, login at http://fuze.me/34577774 or dial in at (201) 479-4595, meeting ID# 34577774#.
RESULTS International Conference, Saturday, July 22 – Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Washington Court Hotel, Washington, DC. Registration is now open!
If you have a question, comment or suggestion for the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board, please e-mail them to RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Vanessa Garcia at [email protected]. You can view the most recently published minutes from Board meetings on the RESULTS website, as well as download RESULTS’ most recent Annual Report.