We Need Your Voice! Stop Cuts to Anti-Poverty Programs!

Late Friday night, Congress and the White House struck an 11th-hour deal to finalize the federal budget for 2011. While details are still emerging, we know that this was only the first of several battles to protect investments that save lives, protect and create jobs, and reflect the values of the United States.

We urgently need your voice to stave off even more devastating cuts to anti-poverty programs at home and abroad.

This week the House of Representatives will vote on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget proposal for 2012. This budget blueprint is an extreme measure that would gut vital programs that improve health, advance education, and strengthen the economy.

I’m writing to ask you to join us in speaking out through three different actions:

1. Call Congress by the end of the day on Thursday, April 14 to urge opposition to the Ryan budget.
2. Educate your community by writing a letter to the editor.
3. Read about the on-going Hunger Fast led by Tony Hall (including the one-day fast participation by RESULTS partners and others on Wednesday, April 13) to call attention to these harmful cuts.

1. Call Congress

We’re asking RESULTS activists across the United States who care about poverty and hunger here and around the world to join together and call Congress. Before the end of the day on Thursday, call your representative — you can call the Capitol Switchboard toll-free at (888) 245-0215 and ask to be directed to your representative’s office — and deliver a message like this:

I am a constituent and I strongly urge you to stand up against any budget cuts that will harm poor and vulnerable people here in the U.S. and around the world and to vote NO on the House Budget Committee’s Budget Resolution. The Ryan budget resolution would slash international affairs spending by nearly 30 percent, and would lead to deep cuts in health and education investments that save lives and strengthen our economy here in the U.S. and around the world. It would slash investments in programs like Head Start, child care, Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, education… in fact, all the investments that help Americans to be economically secure. It denies vital help for low-income and middle class people while giving trillions of dollars in tax cuts to millionaires and big corporations. Please reject these extreme proposals — they would weaken federal protections in a recession and stall economic growth for us all.

Please note:

• If you know your representative is already fighting these poverty-related cuts, please thank them for standing up for the poorest and encourage them to continue to fight cuts in the 2012 budget.
• Once you’ve called your representative, please call your senators. While the Senate will not take up this proposal in its current form, the debate and public outcry against these cuts will shape the priorities of deficit-reduction legislation Congress will take up in the next few months.
• This budget shrinks funding to such an extent that every human needs program here in the United States and around the world is threatened. If you wish to emphasize other important issues in your call, please do so.
• Thank you to the Coalition on Human Needs for the use of this toll-free line.

2. Letter to the Editor

Your actions will be made more powerful by spreading the word in your community. Write a letter to the editor of you local newspaper opposing deep budget cuts to domestic and global anti-poverty programs, and let your community and members of Congress knowwhat action you’ve taken. Take our online letter-writing action!

3. Hunger Fast

In addition to calling on our members of Congress to oppose this budget, RESULTS has participated in the Hunger Fast launched by RESULTS ally and former member of Congress Tony Hall.

In 1993 when Congress eliminated the Select Committee on Hunger, Rep. Tony Hall responded in protest by fasting for 22 days. Now, with even more extreme proposals being considered, Tony Hall is fasting again and asking others to join him. His three goals are:

a. Reminding people about the status of vulnerable people in the United States and around the world.

b. Focusing public attention on the devastating effects that Congress’ proposed cuts would have on vulnerable people.

c. Forming a circle of protection around programs benefitting most vulnerable people her in America and around the world.

At least 30,000 people across the United States and 28 members of Congress have joined Rep. Hall in his fast and standing together to protect vulnerable people from budget cuts that lack conscience. Please join the momentum — read our blog post about how people participated for a day on Wednesday, April 13, and tell us about your experience.

Thank you for all that you do to stand up for the poor and most vulnerable.

In partnership,

Joanne Carter
RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Executive Director

Background Information

• Read our letter RESULTS and dozens of organizations have signed expressing our concerns about the impact on families in poverty in America.
• Read an op-ed by former President George W. Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, explaining “The real world effects of budget cuts” on poor around the world.
• For more on Tony Hall’s efforts, please visit www.hungerfast.org.
• If you don’t know who your senators or representative are or want to call your congressional offices directly, you can find the direct number to your congressional offices on our website.

• More information about RESULTS and how you can make a difference, including our work in communities across the country to create the political will to end poverty, is available on this website.