RESULTS volunteers protect U.S. anti-poverty programs with deep advocacy (Part 1 of 3)
A key congressional office took a meeting with RESULTS less than 48 hours after the request
Cindy Changyit Levin had one thought when she heard about the Trump Administration’s plans to cut anti-poverty programs. “We have to talk to Congress immediately.”
“I was seeing people on social media being very upset that they couldn’t leave a message [with their members of Congress] because voicemail boxes were full,” said the long-time RESULTS advocate from Missouri (on the left in the photo above). “They were feeling like they had absolutely no voice.”
But Cindy has something special: relationships on Capitol Hill. “As a RESULTS volunteer, our job is to know the aides that cover RESULTS’ issues and keep in contact,” she said. “That pays off when you really need to get in the door. There is an art and a skill to being politely pushy to get meetings and to be known and memorable. RESULTS has taught me to walk that line very well.”
Cindy was able to get a meeting with the health aide for Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) just two days after she made the request. She got her foot in the door quickly thanks to the relationship she had built with the office over the past eight years.
Senator Hawley was one of only two Republicans to vote against massive cuts to Medicaid in the Senate’s budget resolution. With almost a quarter of the U.S. population enrolled in Medicaid, the proposed cuts would harm millions of Americans. They would also increase child poverty and jeopardize rural health centers.
With support from RESULTS’ staff, Cindy went into the meeting prepared to thank the senator and reinforce the importance of him remaining a champion for Medicaid. “The easiest thing for the senator to do would be to cave to pressure from the administration,” Cindy shared after the meeting. “We went in there to tell him to stand strong.”
RESULTS’ long record of nonpartisan, informed advocacy secures a face-to-face meeting with a powerful lawmaker
As of April 11, RESULTS advocates have held more than 170 meetings with congressional offices, demanding that Congress protect key anti-poverty programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, the Child Tax Credit (CTC), and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
RESULTS is and has always been nonpartisan throughout its 45-year history. Our advocates have built relationships with Republicans and Democrats who sit on key committees for anti-poverty work. Many of these rapid-response meetings have been with those Republicans.
Getting face-to-face meetings with busy members of Congress is especially difficult. So, RESULTS volunteers from Iowa were thrilled when Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) appeared at their meeting. Advocates in Iowa began meeting with Senator Grassley’s office nearly 20 years ago.
“One reason they keep giving us time is that they know RESULTS provides good solid information,” said Peggy Fitch. “I feel we have built a good relationship with his office. As the saying goes, we don’t always get what we want, but sometimes we get what we need.”
Senator Grassley serves on committees that oversee the federal budget, nutrition, and tax policy. During their meeting, volunteers shared their concerns about proposed cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. They also talked about their desire to see the CTC and EITC expanded to support more people struggling with poverty.
New RESULTS volunteer Joshua Benjamin illustrated the need by sharing his personal story. In 2022, limited finances forced him to drop out of college. He enrolled in SNAP and Medicaid while he worked and saved.
“Getting on those benefits gave me enough breathing room to save up the money to re-enroll in college,” he said. “I graduated this past December and am starting graduate school in June. There’s no way I could have done it without SNAP and Medicaid.”
He also pointed out that ending age restrictions on the EITC would help people in his circumstances. The tax credit was designed to reduce poverty for employed people. But people younger than 25 or older than 65 can’t receive the credit if they don’t have children.
Senator Grassley couldn’t stay for the whole meeting. But before he left, he assured the group that it wasn’t the end of the conversation. “Keep in touch with my office,” he said.
Sharing lived experiences with anti-poverty programs strengthens relationships with members of Congress
Representative Mark Takano’s (D-CA) office allotted half an hour for a face-to-face meeting with RESULTS volunteers to talk about Medicaid and other issues. “But the Congressman himself was so engaged he kept us there for an hour and 20 minutes,” said Lynne Patalano (second from the right).
The Ranking Member on the Veterans Committee was especially interested in hearing from RESULTS volunteer Steve Hastings (second from the left). A Vietnam veteran, Steve shared how critical Medicaid has been for maintaining his health.
When the group left, “the Congressman asked to join us in the elevator and continued to speak enthusiastically about advocacy,” Lynne said. “The relationship-building has to be taken as a win!”
This is a three-part series exploring RESULTS’ advocacy efforts. Read Part 2 and Part 3.
