U.S. Poverty Weekly Update May 16, 2017
U.S. Poverty Campaigns
Weekly Update | May 16, 2017
“It’s unthinkable that the House of Representatives voted to end Medicaid as we know it… I’m counting on senators to reject this bill that is a betrayal of the people Congress was elected to represent.”
—RESULTS Raleigh volunteer Lindsay Saunders in a May 14 letter to the editor in the News & Observer
- Got Two Minutes? Urge Your Local Action Networks to Stand Up for Medicaid
- Got Ten Minutes? Make Sure Senators Oppose Medicaid Changes (May Action)
- Got Twenty Minutes? “Speak Up” to Help Fund RESULTS Work to End Poverty
- Quick News
- Upcoming Events
Make a Differeence: Register for the RESULTS International Conference!
| Take Action! |
Got Two Minutes? Urge Your Local Action Networks to Stand Up for Medicaid
After the House passed their health care bill, which would end Medicaid as we know it, health care for millions of Americans now hangs in the balance in the U.S. Senate. Senators need to hear from as many people as possible about protecting Medicaid. Take a few minutes to tell your Local Action Networks to send an e-mail to Congress urging them to reject any bill that cuts or changes Medicaid and takes away health care for millions.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to send an e-mail to your Local Action Network (people willing to take simple, easy actions on our issues) urging them to e-mail senators about Medicaid. Use e-mail and social media to get the word out. Copy and paste this to send to your Networks today:
We need your help! Congress is poised to make drastic changes to America’s health care system that would be devastating to millions of people. The House health plan would essentially end the Medicaid program as we know it, causing 14 million low-income Americans to lose health coverage. Meanwhile, the wealthy and powerful would get another giant tax cut. When did cutting health care for children, seniors, and people with disabilities become an American value? We must do all we can to protect Americans on Medicaid.
Please use the e-mail alert below to contact your senators urging them to reject any bill that cuts or restructures Medicaid, ends the Medicaid expansion, or takes away health coverage for millions of Americans. Take action today! http://capwiz.com/results/issues/alert/?alertid=12788156&MC_plugin=2201
Got Ten Minutes? Make Sure Senators Oppose Medicaid Changes (May Action)
Last week’s U.S. Poverty National Webinar was an eye-opener about what we face on health care in Congress right now. Guest speaker Ellen Nissenbaum of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities clearly and meticulously walked us through the state of play and what we can do to stop Congress from gutting Medicaid. Ellen told us that the Senate will not pass the House version of the American Health Car Act (AHCA, H.R. 1628), but that is no consolation. The Senate could tinker with some of the House’s most controversial provisions (e.g. covering patients with pre-existing conditions) but leave intact some or all the AHCA’s changes and cuts to Medicaid. You can find the list of senators officially working on the Senate health bill here. In addition, Republican senators from Medicaid expansion states and Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are contributing their ideas as well. Ellen expects the Senate to move on their bill in June, which means we have only weeks to prevent these dangerous changes from becoming law.
You can help stop this by acting now. First, call both of your Senate health aides and tell them to reject any bill that cuts or restructures Medicaid, ends the Medicaid expansion, or takes away health care for millions. Second, the Senate (and House) will be on recess in two weeks (May 29-June 2), so please request face-to-face meetings with senators that week to discuss protecting Medicaid. Third, enlist as many people as you can to take action on this issue. Your advocacy can be the difference!
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to set up calls with Senate health aides to talk about protecting Medicaid. If your entire group can do the call together, that is ideal. Otherwise, designate the person(s) from your group to make the calls. We have several resources to help you:
- The May Action has talking points and background information on Medicaid, including a link to Medicaid state face sheets
- Our May Laser Talk is a role play of a conversation with an aide about Medicaid
- The recording, slides, and summary of the May National Webinar has helpful information and more from Ellen Nissenbaum
In addition, please request face-to-face meetings with your senators during the Memorial Day recess (May 29-June 2). You can find aide and scheduler names under the “Staff” tab on the RESULTS Elected Officials page. Once you get a meeting, please contact Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) to set up a prep call to get you ready. Don’t forget to ask about town halls that week as well.
RESULTS deeply thanks Ellen Nissenbaum for taking time out of her schedule to speak with us on last week's webinar.
Got Twenty Minutes? “Speak Up” to Help Fund RESULTS Work to End Poverty
With threats to core programs and principles coming at a furious pace from Washington, people across the country are eager to engage with the political process and make a difference in the causes they care about. RESULTS is working to take full advantage of this opportunity to build our movement of passionate, committed everyday people.
RESULTS is building our movement by organizing trainings and workshops, accelerating our efforts to be in all 50 states, and working to engage everyone who wants to use their voice to influence political decisions that will bring an end to poverty. This month, RESULTS grassroots advocates are helping raise needed funds to ensure we can take full advantage of this unique organizing moment by participating in a peer-to-peer online fundraising campaign called Speak Up. We know that empowering more people to raise their voices in the fight against poverty is more important now than ever.
You can help by joining the Speak Up Friends and Family Fundraising Campaign. Together we can make sure our government does what it takes to end poverty.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to sign up to do your own Speak Up fundraising campaign. As a Speak Up fundraiser you have access to lots of resources including the Speak Up Campaign Guide with sample emails and social media posts, a customizable fundraising website, and one-on-one coaching from Grassroots Fundraising Manager, Mea Geizhals ([email protected] or 202-783-4800 x131). Sign up today and help us continue make an important difference in the world.
If you’re not sure where to start or are not able to run your own campaign, support those who are by donating to a fellow volunteer’s Speak Up campaign.
Quick News
Send in Your New Group Plans. Keep up the momentum from our successful First 100 Days Campaign for the rest of 2017. Meet with your group in May to complete your 2017 Group Plans. Use our new Group Planning Guide and Group Plan Summary form to do your planning and then submit your final plan online at: www.tinyurl.com/RESULTS2017Plans. Let’s make 2017 a year to remember. Please complete your 2017 Group Plan Summary and submit it online no later than May 31, 2017. If you have questions, please contact Jos Linn at [email protected].
Learn More Skills for Better Outreach on May 23. Building on our success training webinar mast month, RESULTS will be hosting a webinar, It's Go Time, Part 2 – Next Steps and Best Practices for Engaging Your Community in Advocacy. All RESULTS volunteers who want to build the number of volunteers taking advocacy actions in their communities are welcome attend this interactive webinar where we'll share best practices, coach and learn from each other. The webinar is Tuesday, May 23 at 9:00 pm. To join, login at http://fuze.me/34577774 or dial in at (201) 479-4595, meeting ID# 34577774#.
President’s Budget Expected Next Week. Members of Congress are not only busy with the healthcare legislation, but also with the upcoming Fiscal Year 2018 budget and tax reform. President Trump is expected to release his full budget on May 23, and the House will create their own budget in response shortly after. President Trump plans on cutting funding to critical basic services programs like Medicaid and SSDI. Read more about the budget and taxes on the RESULTS Blog.
Use Media to Protect Medicaid. Keep pressure on Congress to reject the House health bill by sending a letter to the editor to your local paper about protecting Medicaid (you can also send one on tax reform too).
Only Two Weeks Left to Nominate a Grassroots Board Member. Nominate yourself or another grassroots volunteer whom you think would be a strong voice representing volunteers on the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board. Send nominations to Jesse Marsden ([email protected]) no later than Sunday, May 28. Read more on the RESULTS Blog.
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 Congressional Recesses: House and Senate: May 29-June 2.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, May 16 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, Wednesday, May 26 at 1:00 pm ET. If you want to learn more about RESULTS, register for an Intro Call on the RESULTS website.
New Date and Time! RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Tuesday, June 13 at 8:00 pm ET. Participate at http://fuze.me/32255914 or (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#. Listen to previous webinars on our National Webinars page.
RESULTS International Conference, Saturday, July 22 – Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Washington Court Hotel, Washington, DC. Register today!
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.