U.S. Poverty Weekly Update June 20, 2017
U.S. Poverty Campaigns
Weekly Update | June 20, 2017
“Do we choose to have more American children suffering? More adults dying? Do we really want a sicker, more frightened America? The Senate gets to choose.”
—RESULTS Salt Lake City volunteer Dr. William Cosgrove in a June14 op-ed in the Deseret News
- Got Two Minutes? Call Senators Today – Health Vote Expected Next Week (June Action)
- Got Ten Minutes? Urge Everyone You Know to Call the Senate (June Action)
- Got Another Ten Minutes? Use the Media to Protect Medicaid (June Action)
- Important RESULTS Conference Announcements
- Quick News
- Upcoming Events
Quick Action: Call Senators to Protect Medicaid
| Take Action! |
Got Two Minutes: Call Senators Today – Health Vote Expected Next Week (June Action)
We’re now down to crunch time. It is expected that the Senate will debate and vote on their health care bill next week, before going home for the July 4 congressional recess. Details are still sketchy but it is expected that the cuts and changes to Medicaid could be even worse than the House’s American Health Care Act — which guts Medicaid. The House bill takes health coverage from 23 million people, including 3 million children (most of those coverage losses would come from Medicaid patients), while the 400 richest Americans get a $7 million tax cut per year. Call your Senators now to tell them to protect Medicaid!
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to call both your Senate offices to tell them to oppose any bill that cuts or restructures Medicaid (see the June Action for more information). Call (800) 826-3688 and leave the following message (and try local offices if you cannot get through to the DC office):
My name is ___________________ and I am a constituent from ___________________. I am appalled that the Senate is poised to take health care away from millions of low-income Americans, including many in our state, with deep cuts and structural changes to Medicaid. Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of children, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Yet Congress wants to undo all the good Medicaid does by slashing Medicaid funding and instituting a per capita cap on spending. This cannot happen. Please tell Sen. ________________ to oppose any health bill that cuts or restructures Medicaid, ends the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, or causes millions of Americans to lose their health insurance. Will you deliver that message?
Got Ten Minutes? Urge Everyone You Know to Call the Senate (June Action)
One of the most frustrating things about the health care debate has been the secrecy under which it has all taken place. Knowing the unpopularity of the House health bill, upon which the Senate bill is built, Senate leaders are doing all they can to hide their plan from public view. The theory is that if no one knows for sure what’s in this bill, the harder it will be for people to oppose it. But here’s a good rule to remember about public policy: IF THEY HIDE IT, IT’S BAD.
We’re not going to know what’s in this bill until the last possible minute. Therefore, we must assume that whatever is in it will be just as bad if not worse than what the House did. Senators are welcomed to prove this assumption wrong by making this an open discussion and debate. Until then, we have to muster all the resources we can stop this thing.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to reach out to your local action networks, social media friends, local advocacy groups, anyone willing to make a call or send an e-mail now to protect Medicaid. The June Action has information to help you, including language to use in an e-mail or Facebook post to people you know (see below). RESULTS also has Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram graphics you can use to spread the word. In particular, think about who you know in these states, since their senators will be critical: AK, AR, AZ, CO, LA, ME, NV, OH, TN, or WV.
Also, look for events other groups in your area are doing this week/weekend and attend to see if you can speak about the importance of being engaged right now. Take copies of our call-in flyer to pass out at these events urging people to call. It’s now or never.
Sample e-mail:
We need your help! Congress is poised to end the Medicaid program as we know it, causing 14 million low-income Americans to lose health coverage. These cuts will be used to give the wealthy and powerful another giant tax cut. When did cutting health care for our most vulnerable become an American value? We must do all we can to protect Americans on Medicaid.
Please call your Senate offices at (800) 826-3688 and leave the following message with the receptionist:
My name is ___________________ and I am a constituent from ___________________. I am appalled that the Senate wants to make deep cuts and structural changes to Medicaid, which is a lifeline for millions of children, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Will you please tell Sen. ________________ to oppose any health bill that cuts or restructures Medicaid, ends the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, or causes millions of Americans to lose their health insurance?
Got Twenty Minutes? Use the Media to Protect Medicaid (June Action)
Use the media to hit the message home that your senators must oppose any bill that guts Medicaid. The vote on this bill will be very close. Members of Congress hate bad press and if they see a flurry of letters this week and next calling them out by name to oppose the Senate health bill (remember: if they are hiding it, it’s bad), they might think twice about supporting a bill the American people overwhelmingly oppose. And if your senators are already opposed, tell them to do all they can to stop this bill from moving forward before the American people have a chance to see what’s in it, how much it costs, and make their voices heard.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to draft and submit a letter to the editor urging the Senate to reject cuts or changes to Medicaid, including ending the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Use the June Action or our updated online alert to send a letter today. Be sure to mention your senators by name. Here is a sample LTE to get you started from the June Action:
I am outraged that the Senate is secretly negotiating legislation that will end Medicaid as we know it and take health coverage from millions.
The House passed the American Health Care Act last month, and the Senate is basing their bill on this devastating proposal. The AHCA would force 23 million people to lose insurance, more than half of them low-income Americans. And capping Medicaid would force states to ration care, shoulder more costs, and deny health coverage to many of those who need it most.
These are real people's lives on the line. Senators _____________ and ____________ need to say "no" to any proposal that guts Medicaid and threatens the health care of millions of Americans.
If you live in AK, AR, AZ, CO, LA, ME, NV, OH, TN, or WV or know of others who do and can share how Medicaid impacts your children, played a role in your childhood, or know of others in those states that can do so, we’d love to get you involved in our “Medicaid Story Project.” See RESULTS Expert on Poverty Asia Bijan Thompson’s Facebook post for more information.
Important RESULTS Conference Announcements
With the RESULTS International Conference only a month away, here are some important things you should know as you prepare for your trip to DC.
Hotel Block Expires Thursday. Our block of discounted rooms at the Washington Court Hotel for the Conference expires this Thursday, June 22. After that, we cannot guarantee you will get a room at the discounted price (nor a room altogether). Make your reservation today (you don’t pay until you get to DC) before it’s too late!
Set Up Letter-Writing Parties in July. We want to make sure the voices of those who cannot come to the Conference also get heard on Advocacy Day. To do that, we urge you to reach out to friends and colleagues in July to ask them to write letters on our U.S. Poverty issues that you can hand-deliver in your lobby meetings in DC. In July, plan to gather people together for a local letter-writing party either during the National Webinar (July 11 at 8:00 pm ET) or at some other time before July 21 (when people leave for the Conference). We’ll have talking points and other resources to help you in early July.
Lobby Prep Calls Start Soon. To get your ready for your lobby meetings at the Conference, RESULTS does “lobby prep calls” with attendees before they get to DC. We are in the process of scheduling those calls now. If you are registered for the Conference, look for an e-mail from Jos Linn asking you for times when you can do a prep call with Meredith Dodson. Please follow the instructions in his e-mail ASAP.
Register for Pre- and Post-Conference Intensive Trainings. Are you in DC the morning of July 22 or sticking the Wednesday morning (July 26) after the Conference? We’ll be doing an advocacy intensive on Saturday morning and a media intensive on Wednesday morning. These sessions are open to volunteers and are free. Come learn with others at an intensive session. Check out the details online and register for a spot.
Prepare Yourself for Fun. Run through this handy International Conference preparation checklist as we look forward to our time together in DC.
It’s Not Too Late to Register. If you haven’t yet registered for the RESULTS International Conference, what are you waiting for? We need you there and you’ll want to be there. Just go to www.resultsconference.org to register today. And remember that first time attendees get a $50 discount off their registration fee. Use the discount code FIRSTIC17 when you register.
Quick News
Help Us Unlock a $25,000 Match. Right now, your gift to RESULTS will go even further! For the month of June only, a longtime RESULTS donor and volunteer will donate $1,000 for every new monthly donor – up to $25,000. Help us fully unlock this generous matching gift. Read more and sign up on our website.
Gear Up for July 4 Recess. Congress is on recess the week of July 3. Request face-to-face meetings and look for town halls that week to talk to senators and representatives about protecting core anti-poverty programs. If you get a meeting or plan to attend an event, contact Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) to help you get ready.
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: July 3-7.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, June 20 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, June 23 at 1:00 pm ET. If you want to learn more about RESULTS, register for an Intro Call on the RESULTS website.
Independence Day Holiday, Tuesday, July 4. All RESULTS offices are closed. RESULTS offices will be open on Monday, July 3 but many staff persons will be on vacation that day.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Tuesday, July 11 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.