RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update April 20, 2021
Quote of the Week
“For many years, our country has had a much higher rate of child poverty than other high-income countries. This puts our very future at risk.”
– RESULTS Bloomington, IN volunteer Stephen Arnold in a April 6 letter to the editor in the Herald-Times
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
IMPORTANT ACTION Take a survey to help strengthen anti-oppression and equity work at RESULTS.
Got Twenty Minutes? Submit our sign-on letters and appropriations requests
This week is critical! We have three House appropriations sign-on letters that will close this week and a new Senate sign-on letter on maternal and child health that has opened. These letters are vital tools for reinforcing the appropriations requests that you all have been making, so we want the signature lists to be robust. Find all the letters on our regularly updated fiscal year 2022 (FY22) appropriations sign-on letter blog post.
And remember that the House State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee of Appropriations (SFOPS) leadership has a deadline of April 28 to hear from other representatives about their development assistance spending priorities for FY22. Submitting appropriations requests doesn’t have to be tricky. Here are some tips:
- Go to your representative’s website and search for “appropriations.” Many offices have forms and deadlines on their websites. If you find forms, send them to Dorothy Monza ([email protected]) and Crickett Nicovich ([email protected]) along with the deadline for having them filled out. They will fill them out and return them to you to send to the foreign policy aide along with our appropriations request sheets.
- If you don’t find forms on the website, call the foreign policy aide for your representative and ask what the deadline is for submitting SFOPS appropriations requests to their office. Also, ask if they have forms to fill out or if you can just submit our request sheets. If you don’t know who the foreign policy aide is, call the office and ask, or contact the Grassroots Impact staff.
- Follow your call with an e-mail to the foreign policy aide, including any unanswered questions about deadlines and forms, along with our appropriations requests. Explain why these funding levels are important (drawing on the request sheets or laser talks for your explanation).
- Alternate calling and e-mailing until you get a clear response on the procedure for submitting the appropriations requests and find out whether your representative will include our requests in their submission. Remember, if they have forms to fill out, we can help. Send them to Dorothy Monza ([email protected]) and Crickett Nicovich ([email protected]) along with the deadline for having them filled out.
- Please let Lisa Marchal ([email protected]) or Ken Patterson ([email protected]) know if you have questions.
Got Another Fifteen Minutes? Get meetings with your members of Congress
Our goal is to meet with 100 percent of the Senate and 75 percent of the House during our First 100 Days Campaign which ends April 30. So far, we’ve reached 70 percent of the Senate and 31 percent of the House. There’s roughly 10 days left of the campaign, so don’t hesitate. Book meetings with your representatives and senators now so that we can reinforce our appropriations requests and sign-on letters. We’ve got appropriations request memos and companion laser talks on global nutrition, tuberculosis, and education to assist you. You can also find the FY22 appropriations sign-on letters (and track our progress on them) on our blog.
To help you get your meetings scheduled and to help you make your requests, use our draft meeting request letter, meeting request laser talk, and campaign request sheets available on our Lobbying support page. You can also engage your Action Network to support your requests by having them write to your members of Congress using our online action.
TAKE ACTION: Book meetings with your legislators as soon as possible so you can reinforce our appropriations and sign-on letter requests. You can ask your Action Network to reach out with appropriations requests as well. And remember to report your meetings after they happen!
Did you miss the Monthly Policy Forum on April 15? Our focus was global nutrition, and the hour was filled with great content and thoughtful questions. Watch the playback and check out the companion slides online.
We need to support the Global Partnership for Education. “Urgent action is needed now to ensure the current education crisis does not turn into a permanent catastrophe for an entire generation.” Read more on our blog about the state of global education and why we need to stand behind the Global Partnership for Education.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Submit a letter to the editor on housing and child poverty
Got Twenty Minutes? Tell Congress to expand rental assistance
Much is afoot in Washington as Congress and the Administration trade ideas on economic recovery legislation. President Biden is meeting with lawmakers this week to discuss potential agreement on infrastructure spending as part of economic recovery. What any final economic recovery legislation will include is murky at this point. What is clear is what it should include.
Expanding rental assistance is of utmost importance. Quite simply, it will help solve the housing affordability crisis. In a new paper from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, they make the strong case for expanding Housing Choice Vouchers to all eligible renters. They note that in January 2021, 15.1 million renters were behind on rent and “included disproportionately high shares of people of color, renters with low incomes, and renters who had experienced a decrease in income.” These groups were struggling to secure housing before the pandemic, and now things are worse.
Yet, by expanding rental assistance, we make things better for everyone, especially children. From the CBPP report, “children whose families were homeless and receive vouchers to rent housing change schools less frequently, are less likely to be placed in foster care, experience fewer sleep disruptions and behavioral problems, and are likelier to exhibit positive social behaviors.”
Our goal is housing for all and expanding rental assistance to all eligible renters is a huge and necessary step in getting there. Finish out these last weeks of the First 100 Days Campaign sending an unequivocal message to your senators and representatives that now is the time to go bold on housing.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to set up First 100 Days meetings with senators and representatives to talk about housing (and tax credits, see more below). Encourage your members of Congress to voice their support action on housing in congressional hearings and to remind leadership that housing is infrastructure and must be included in any economic recovery legislation. Our April U.S. Poverty Action has background info and tips. In addition, our lobby meeting request, laser talks, and housing and tax lobby leave behinds provide everything you need to have a good meeting. Please contact RESULTS staff to help get you ready for meetings and let us know what happened in our Lobby Report Form.
Learn more about the importance of protecting renters from eviction and how our requests can prevent them by listening to our Evictions 101 Monthly Policy Forum with RESULTS Senior Policy Associate Michael Santos.
Got Ten More Minutes? Talk EITC and CTC in lobby meetings and calls with tax aides
In our advocacy, we must also be vigilant on our requests to permanently expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) in economic recovery legislation. The American Rescue Plan passed in March included a one-year expansion of the EITC and CTC which is set to benefit 17 million low-wage workers and cut child poverty by 45 percent. We must ensure that this progress is not erased after one year.
On April 28, President Biden plans to unveil its American Families Plan, the second part of its economic recovery agenda, in an address to Congress. The media is reporting that his plan will include an extension of the new EITC and CTC provisions, but only until 2025. This is preferable to letting the provisions expire, but it is not enough. For years, lawmakers and Presidents have fought for tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and big corporations. It’s time they fight for workers and families with the same zeal. Fortunately, champions in Congress are pushing their colleagues and the Administration to make the EITC and CTC provisions permanent. Let’s make sure we have their backs.
TAKE ACTION: In your lobby meetings and conversations with tax aides, take ten minutes to tell them to make the recent expansions of the EITC and CTC permanent in economic recovery legislation this year. Remind them that these expansions are expected to help tens of millions of workers and children over the next year (see the impact for workers and children in your state in the appendices here). Use our tax leave behind sheet to push for a permanent extension of these important tax credits.
QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY
Resources for people facing eviction. The CDC national moratorium on evictions runs through June, landlords are still filing eviction notices on countless renters around the country. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has resources to help renters understand and enforce their rights, including how to file a complaint with the CFPB or to report landlords who may be in violation of the CDC moratorium. Also, the National Low-Income Housing Coalition maintains a list of local rental assistance programs around the country that may help prevent evictions.
President Biden speaks to Congress next week. President Biden will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28. He is expected to unveil his “American Families Plan”, which could include provisions related to our current U.S. poverty campaigns. The speech is expected to be carried by most news networks.
Urge reps to support housing at HFSC Member Day Hearing. The House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) is holding a “member day hearing” on April 27 at 12:00 pm ET, which gives members to voice the opinion on matters before the Committee. Encourage your representative to participate in the hearing and get on the record to support our housing priorities. In case you missed it, the HFSC held a hearing last week on Investing in Equitable and Affordable Housing Infrastructure. Learn how some members of Congress voiced their support for our asks here and why it’s critical to invest in fair and affordable housing.
Brookings event on the EITC this Thursday. The Brookings Institution will host a discussion on whether to make the new expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) permanent or not. The event is this Thursday, April 22 at 2:30 pm ET. Register for the event here.
Sign your local RESULTS group onto SAVE for All principles. RESULTS is part of the SAVE for All Coalition, which works to promote fairness and equality for all. Show your support by adding your local RESULTS group to the list of SAVE signers. Use this form to add your RESULTS group.
RESULTS Announcements
Please take the anti-oppression survey. In partnership with an outside consulting form, RESULTS is currently conducting an anti-oppression and equity survey to collect feedback from RESULTS volunteers on existing anti-oppression efforts. Your input is critical to identifying areas of growth in our anti-oppression work and will contribute to the improvement of your volunteer experience. We currently have almost 190 responses; we need at least one hundred more for an accurate sample. If you have not taken the survey, please click here to take the survey today. We know that the survey is long 30-40 minutes to complete), but your answers are important. By completing the survey, you will help shape the future of our work.
Clint Smith to speak at RESULTS 2021 International Conference! We are thrilled to announce that Clint Smith will be a keynote speaker at the virtual 2021 RESULTS International Conference, June 12-13. Smith is an author, poet, educator, and staff writer for The Atlantic. His latest book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, will be released on June 1 and has been named one of the most anticipated books of 2021. Smith is also the author of the award-winning poetry collection Counting Descent. His work blends art and activism, and his research interests include youth civic education and mass incarceration. Come hear Mr. Smith and other speakers at this year’s Conference and then join us for a powerful Advocacy Week with congressional offices the following week. Register today! Please register by May 1 to participate in Advocacy Week.
Join BIPOC/African Leadership Cohort Caucus meeting. The next caucus meeting, which is open to the BIPOC and African Diaspora communities, will be held Wednesday, April 21 at 7:45 pm ET. The theme of this gathering will be “Where Does My Community Fit in Advocacy?” You must register to attend. Register at tinyurl.com/BIPOCALC.
Join Champion Scale training with Sam Daley-Harris. RESULTS founder Sam Daley-Harris will energize us with his interactive workshop “The RESULTS Champion Scale: Creating Congressional Leadership” on moving our members of Congress up the Champion Scale. The webinar is Wednesday, April 21 at 8:30 pm ET. Register today.
RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Nominations. Ever thought of serving on the RESULTS board? Now is the time to submit your name or the name of someone you believe would do a great job. Find out more about nominations and what’s involved in serving on the board on our website. Please email name(s) to Jesse Marsden at [email protected]. If you have questions, please contact Lindsay K. Saunders at [email protected]. Nominations close April 30.
Join housing book discussions in May. The RESULTS Grassroots Anti-Oppression Working Group is sponsoring a follow-up conversation from our March webinar on The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein. The focus of this webinar will be on the final four chapters. The Color of Law webinar is Wednesday, May 5 at 9:00 pm ET. Register today. Also, the RESULTS St. Louis (U.S. Poverty) group is hosting a discussion with Ben Austen, author of High-Risers: Cabrini-Green and Fate of American Public Housing. The High-Risers event is free and will take place on Thursday, May 13 at 8:00 pm ET. Read more and register here.
Upcoming Events
Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are in DC this week. Submit your remote meeting requests today.
Wednesday, April 21: BIPOC/African Leadership Cohort Caucus, 7:45 pm ET. You must register to attend. Register at tinyurl.com/BIPOCALC.
Wednesday, April 21: The RESULTS Champion Scale: Creating Congressional Leadership, 8:30 pm ET. Led by RESULTS founder Sam Daley Harris. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.
Saturday, May 1: RESULTS National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.
Wednesday, May 5: Second book discussion on The Color of Law, 9:00 pm ET. Focus will be on the final four chapters. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.
Thursday, May 13: Discussion of High-Risers: Cabrini-Green and Fate of American Public Housing, 8:00 pm ET. Guest: author Ben Austen. This event is hosted by RESULTS St. Louis (U.S. Poverty). Register here.
Thursday, May 13: Quarterly Call-in with Grassroots Board Members, 9:00 pm ET. Join at https://tinyurl.com/QuarterlyGR. You can also dial in to (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 96338593060, passcode 1980.
Wednesday, May 19: Action Network Monthly Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.
Thursday, May 20. U.S. Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.
Thursday, May 20. Global Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.
Saturday June 12 and Sunday, June 13: 2021 RESULTS International Conference. Registration is open. Please register by May 1 to participate in Advocacy Week following the conference.
Grassroots Resources
Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.
To update volunteer info (e.g., subscribe to the Weekly Update or action alerts, add new advocate information, update an existing advocate’s information or preferences), use our Volunteer Information Form.
Find actions and volunteer resources on our Current Volunteers page, including our anti-oppression resources.
Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities.
To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected]
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Lindsay Saunders at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.