U.S. Poverty Weekly Update August 20, 2019
Quote of the Week
“As a nurse practitioner with experience working in an inner-city hospital, I have seen firsthand the health and emotional problems living hand to mouth causes.”
– RESULTS Marin County, CA volunteer Gail Dolson in an August 9 letter to the editor in the Marin County Independent Journal
Got Two Minutes? There’s 3 Weeks Left to Talk to Members of Congress about Poverty (August Action)
The long August recess continues, with almost three weeks left before members of Congress return to Washington. When they do, you want them thinking about the renters’ credit (housing campaign) and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit (tax policy campaign). We have the chance to enact meaningful change, especially on the EITC/CTC (members will start negotiating a “tax extenders” bill when they get back to DC which could pass this fall). Meeting with them now is the best way for you to impress upon them the importance of these issues. We know it seems like it’s becoming harder and harder to get meetings. That’s why it is so important to keep asking.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to contact your House and Senate schedulers to schedule meetings with your members of Congress during the August recess. Use the August Action for help. If you cannot get a meeting this month, ask about town halls or other public events they may be doing (and check www.townhallproject.com). If there are no events, ask for a meeting the next time they are home (see below for additional steps you can take). When you get a meeting or event scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson to help you get ready. For additional materials, check out our Lobbying page.
Got Ten Minutes? Follow Up with DC Aides to Talk Housing and Taxes
RESULTS volunteers know that speaking with a policy aide (in person or over the phone) is almost as important as meeting with their members of Congress face-to-face. These aides are the gatekeepers – they decide what information your representative or senator will see. Talking with these aides is a key part of our strategy in achieving meaningful policies to make housing more affordable and expanding tax credits to help families in low-wage jobs.
If cannot get a meeting or you have not spoken to your DC housing and tax aides in the last month, now is a good time to follow up. With Congress on recess, their schedules are usually a little more flexible so they can take time to talk to you about the issues. In addition, the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign is hosting an event on September 18 on the housing crisis. When talking to housing aides, ask them to attend and then plan to follow up afterward.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to contact the housing and tax aides for your members of Congress to check on the status of recent requests or to check in if you if you have not spoken to them lately. The laser talks in our August Action are a good place to start when discussing our issues, as are our current lobby requests found on our Lobbying page (found under “I need lobbying materials”). When speaking with the housing aide, let them know about the September 18 housing event and ask them to register and attend. If you are need help or coaching, please contact Jos Linn for assistance.
Got Sixty Minutes? Get an Early Jump on our Fall Media Campaign, Join Media Training Tomorrow
In September, we’ll focus our efforts on generating media around tax credits for working families. With a real possibility of getting some expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit this fall, we want to push lawmakers to include these expansions in any tax bill that comes up. Your media will help do that. Plus, with new data on the EITC/CTC from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities coming out next week and the 2018 Census poverty data release coming on September 10, there will be hooks aplenty for your letters to the editor. In fact, use our new online template to get a letter published now about expanding the EITC and CTC.
Our media push is also an easy and effective way to offer others a transformational experience. When people do something for the first time like getting a letter published, it inspires them. We need as many people as possible to write letters (on both EITC/CTC as well as the Global Fund) so use that to inspire new people into action. To help you, RESULTS will host a webinar “Wow, I got published! Making Media a Transformational Experience” tomorrow, August 21 at 8:30 pm ET. Building on our work from the June national webinar with Dr, Hahrie Han, join this webinar to get practical guidance on using organizing practices and our media actions to spur deeper engagement in advocacy.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to get started on our fall media blitz by submitting a letter to the editor on the EITC and CTC using our new online template. Then plan to join our media engagement webinar tomorrow at 8:30 pm ET to learn how you can use your media work to boost our campaigns and grow the movement to end poverty. Join the webinar at: https://results.zoom.us/j/586201507, or dial either (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 586 201 507#.
Quick News
Join Tweetchat on Public Charge. Last week, the Trump Administration announced its final “public charge” rule which would hold the use of public benefits against immigrants applying for permanent residency in the U.S. 13 states have already filed a lawsuit challenging the rule. Join advocates on Twitter at #PublicChargeChat tomorrow, August 21 at 2:00 pm ET for a Tweetchat to understand what the rule entails and how you can support immigrant families.
Submit Comment to Protect SNAP. The Trump Administration has proposed a new rule to eliminate “broad-based categorical eligibility” with SNAP, which would result in 3 million low-income people losing SNAP benefits. Please submit your comment opposing the rule today. The deadline is September 23.
September webinar moved to September 10. To provide you an overview of the 2018 U.S. Census poverty data on the day it is released, our September U.S. Poverty National Webinar will take place on Tuesday, September 10 at 8:00 pm ET (a week later than normal).
Upcoming Events
August Congressional Recess. The House and Senate are both on recess until September 6. Submit your meeting requests today.
Tuesday, August 20, U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/324294681 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 324 294 681.
Wednesday, August 21, Webinar: Wow, I got published! Making Media a Transformational Experience, 8:30 pm ET. Join here: https://results.zoom.us/j/586201507, or dial either (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 586 201 507#.
Tuesday, September 10: RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, 8:00 pm ET. Overview of 2018 U.S. Census poverty data. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 873 308 801. Find recordings and slides from previous webinars on the National Webinars page.
Find other events on the RESULTS Events Calendar.
U.S. Poverty Staff time out of the office: Jos Linn, August 24-September 2.
Other Resources
Learn more about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
Do you have a new person in your RESULTS group or info to update? Use our Volunteer Information Form to add them.
Report your Grassroots Successes:
- What happened at your last lobby meeting?
- What media have you gotten published?
- Have you reached out to new people lately?
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
RESULTS Staff directory.