U.S. Poverty Weekly Update October 17, 2017

U.S. Poverty Campaigns

Weekly Update | October 17, 2017

“The President Trump/Republican tax bill is a far cry from help for the middle class that the president ran on. The bill is, once again, tax cuts for the wealthy that will eventually be paid for by cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, disability aid and unemployment compensation, etc., for the rest of us.”

– RESULTS Silicon Valley volunteer Georgia Platts in an October 13 letter to the editor in the San Jose Mercury News

Quick Action: Tell Congress to Reject Tax Cuts that Put Anti-Poverty Programs at Risk

Got Two Minutes? Call Senators to Oppose Budget Resolution

The Senate is back in Washington. Later this week, they will vote on their budget resolution, which paves the way for $1.5 trillion in deficit-increasing tax cuts and puts funding for America’s anti-poverty efforts in serious jeopardy. The vote is expected to come as early as Thursday of this week. Call both your senators this week and tell them to vote NO on the Senate budget resolution.

TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to call both your senators to tell them to oppose the dangerous and financially irresponsible budget resolution being voted on this week. Call (888) 516-5820 today and when connected to an office, say:

My name is ______________ and I am a constituent from _____________________ and a RESULTS volunteer. I urge Sen. _____________________ to vote NO on the upcoming budget resolution. This budget allows Congress to pass $1.5 trillion in wasteful tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. As a result, critical services for America’s working families, such as Medicaid and SNAP, will be put at risk. Sen. _________________ should not be asking struggling families in our state to sacrifice so that wealthy people can get another tax cut. Will you tell him/her to vote NO on the budget resolution?

If you cannot call, please send them an e-mail today using our online action alert.

Got Ten Minutes? Remind Representatives to Get Their Priorities Straight

Your representatives are home all this week and waiting to hear from you on what you care about. The most pressing issue to discuss with them is the planned 2018 budget and tax plan currently moving through Congress. The House has already voted on their budget resolution, which uses cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, the  EITC and Child Tax Credit to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. The Senate will vote on their plan this week and assuming it passes, both sides will work out a final budget compromise later this month.

Just like with health care, your members of Congress need to hear from you regularly about this issue. The budget process is expected to move fast. Leaders want their tax cuts finalized by the end of the year. Take every opportunity you can to talk to them about the misguided priorities in this planned budget. Is it right to ask children to forego food assistance so the top 0.1 percent can get a $1 million tax cut each year? Is it fair to ask working families to pay higher taxes while multi-million dollar estates pay nothing? No, and members of Congress need to be told.

TAKE ACTION: Request last minute face-to-face meetings with your representatives this week. Contact schedulers (plug in your address on our new Elected Officials page, then click on your senators’ or representative’s name to scroll down to “Staff Members”) to request a meeting or check on the status of a previous request. Be sure to ask about town halls and public events your members of Congress may be having this week (also check www.townhallproject.com for events). If you get a meeting or attend a town halls, use our updated U.S. Poverty Laser Talks for talking points and please contact Meredith Dodson to get individualized coaching.

If you cannot get a meeting during the recesses, please contact the key aides in your House and Senate offices urging them to reject this proposed (focus on the aide you have the closest relationship with; find aide names through this page). And please fill out a lobby report form after any meeting or event where you talk to members of Congress or their staff to let us know how it went.

Got Twenty Minutes? Write Letters about Taxes and the Budget (October Action)

This month, we are working to influence the budget and tax debate currently heating up in Congress. This will be an ongoing effort as the budget process moves forward. Remember, the budget resolution is the vehicle by which congressional Republicans hope to pass their massive tax cut bill. Just like with health care, they want to use budget reconciliation to pass their tax package. This means if they can pass their tax cuts for the wealthy with only 51 votes (and no Democratic support). However, without the budget resolution, reconciliation cannot be used. That’s why first and foremost you are urging them to vote NO on the budget resolution.

However, assuming the resolution passes (and there is no indication that it won’t), the process is far from over. The resolution simply tasks certain committees to come up with specific policy that can be voted on. Thus, we will be using all the leverage points we can to influence what that legislation looks like and then supporting or opposing the final product when it comes to a vote. Therefore, your calls this week and in the coming weeks, and your letters per the October Action, not only influence what’s going on right now, but everything that happens afterward as well. Write those letters – they make an impact.

TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to write letters to your members of Congress urging them to reject any budget proposal that enacts tax cuts for the wealthy and puts anti-poverty programs at risk. The October Action has talking points to help with your letters. Also, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) has new data showing the tax plan’s impact on incomes in each state. Use this information to personalize your letters.

Also, use the budget and tax debate to engage others to take action. RESULTS has materials to help you (PPTs, Action Sheets, Laser Talks, sample agenda). This is a great way to encourage others to take action on this important issue. If you want additional help, please contact Jos Linn for assistance.

Quick News

Get ready for Virtual Thanksgiving Feast! The annual Virtual Thanksgiving Feast Friends and Family Fundraising Campaign will be held from November 13 – November 28. This online, peer-to-peer fundraising campaign is an opportunity to share your RESULTS work with your friends and family, grow your group, and help raise needed funds to support our work. Mark your calendars for the campaign and the kick-off training call on Thursday, November 9 at 8:30 pm ET. Email Ben McGarry at [email protected] with questions and to let him know you’re participating!

Join Prosperity Now Webinar on the Wealth Divide Today at 2pm ET. Prosperity Now is continuing its webinar series today with “The Road to Zero Wealth: How the Racial Wealth Divide is Hollowing Out America’s Middle Class and What We Can Do About It.” They’ll discuss the current and future state of the racial wealth divide, the role that policies play in creating the divide, and how to fix it. The webinar is today, October 17 at 2:00 pm ET. Register today. Also, listen to Prosperity Now’s recent webinars on the tax policy debate and how grassroots advocates can better fight for equity.

RESULTS Outreach Continues. RESULTS staff continues to work intensely to grow the movement to end poverty. Currently, we are pursuing leads in ME, WV, OR, MS, and AZ. If you know people in these states, or others who are interested in getting involved in our U.S. poverty work, please contact Kristy Martino.

Food Friday Twitter Chat a Success. Last Friday, RESULTS and MomsRising held a Food Friday Tweet Chat (#FoodFri) to remind people about the importance of nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP. It was a lively discussion. Check out the Storify of the Tweet Chat here.

CHIP Renewal Moving in Congress. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), insures 9 million low-income children, expired on September 30. Without a reauthorization and new funding, states will have to wind down their CHIP programs. Earlier this month, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a renewal of CHIP (the HEALTHY KIDS Act), but it contains offsets that are troubling some policy experts. Congress should not play politics with children’s health care. Use the MomsRising hotline (855) 440-1800 to call your members of Congress to extend CHIP now.

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: October 16-20; Senate: October 9-13.

U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, October 17 at 1:00pm 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, October 27 at 1:00pm ET. Register for an upcoming Intro Call on the RESULTS website.

Proven Tools for Bringing Out Leadership in Others (webinar), October 30 at 8:00 pm ET. Using our new Group Leader Training Modules/Handbook, come for a great discussion of tips to help you be "a leader of leaders." Join at: http://fuze.me/35674518 or dial (201) 479-4595, meeting ID 35674518#.

Observance of Veterans’ Day, Friday, November 10. All RESULTS offices closed.

RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Tuesday, November 14 at 8:00 pm ET. Participate at http://fuze.me/32255914 or (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#.

2018 RESULTS International Conference, July 14-17, 2018, Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. Save the date and keep an eye out for more details.

If you have a question, comment or suggestion for the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board, please e-mail them to RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Steven McGee 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.