Deliver Congress a recess message: NO cuts to basic health and nutrition assistance for tax breaks

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a budget resolution that cuts core anti-poverty programs – SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), Medicaid, and the EITC for working families – while fast-tracking massive tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. With one in eight Americans are living at or below the poverty line, why are some members of Congress putting the interests of wealthy people over the lives of families trying to make ends meet? Unfortunately, this is part of a larger pattern. The Senate Budget Resolution passed out of committee yesterday (with an expected vote on the Senate floor the week of October 16) paves the way for at least $1.5 trillion in deficit-increasing tax cuts that again mostly benefit millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations and will lead to deep cuts to basic assistance programs.

Congressional leaders want to pass a final budget by the end of the month. With the Senate on recess next week and the House the week after, we need to tell them loud and clear that voters oppose cutting basic assistance to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

What can you do? Request face-to-face meetings with your representatives and senators when they are on recess over the next two weeks (Senate: October 9-13; House: October 16-20). 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 a previous request. Be sure to ask about town halls and public events your members of Congress may be having during the recesses (also check www.townhallproject.com for events).

Research shows meeting face-to-face with members of Congress is the most influential action we can take (and RESULTS advocates have discussed the importance of U.S. anti-poverty policies 164 times face-to-face with Congress so far this year!), and your conversations with members of Congress over the next two weeks can help stop cuts to basic services like Medicaid, SNAP, and the EITC for large unpaid-for tax cuts. When you get a meeting or town hall on your calendar, please contact Meredith Dodson to get individualized coaching for your meeting. Also, please remember to fill out a lobby report form afterward to let us know how it went.

Again, please use the next two weeks to send a loud and clear message that voters oppose cutting basic assistance to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

Thank you for all that you do.