RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update August 11, 2020
Quote of the Week
“As constituents, [we must] see that our legislators act to prevent a medical, humanitarian and economic crisis from continuing to unfold.”
– RESULTS and Dining for Women volunteer Leslye Heilig in a August 6 letter to the editor in The Berkshire Eagle (MA)
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Write a letter to the editor on prioritizing global health and education during the COVID-19 crisis
Got Fifteen Minutes? Contact your local paper about a necessary emergency response package
Last week, congressional and White House negotiators failed to reach an agreement on the next COVID-19 relief package. Before things broke down, reports were that the two sides had made some progress. There was a rumored agreement between the House Democrats and Senate Republicans to support an increased global response to COVID-19. This means your advocacy has worked. Your meetings, calls, e-mails, and media were pushing negotiations in the right direction. However, negotiators could not overcome other issues, particularly the size of the bill.
The best action now is to take to the media, sending letters to the editor expressing your outrage and frustration with this disappointing and dangerous failure by Congress and the President. Use our updated media alert to call on members of Congress and President Trump to enact a fair and just deal that includes no less than $20 billion for the global response to the pandemic.
Remember that we are asking for the following:
A global response of no less than $20 billion for development assistance in the next emergency response package, and a designation of $10 billion of that to be used as follows:
- $4 billion over two years for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
- $4 billion for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
- $2 billion for anti-hunger programs, with at least $500 million for nutrition
TAKE ACTION: Sharpen those writing tools – or take hold of our online action alert – and write your letter to the editor on how Congress and the Administration must act now to mitigate the global health impacts of COVID-19. Development assistance of at least $20 billion must be part of a response to the global pandemic.
QUICK NEWS ON GLOBAL POVERTY
Piece on tuberculosis in the New York Times. A new article on the current state of tuberculosis around the world, in the context of the coronavirus crisis, has been published in the New York Times. Supported in part by David Bryden, RESULTS TB Advocacy Officer, this striking piece is titled “’The Biggest Monster’ Is Spreading. And It’s Not the Coronavirus.” Read, share, and consider penning your own letter to the editor in response.
Don’t forget to report. Make sure all your hard work gets logged in our lobby, media, and outreach report forms. Having a record of your work is incredibly helpful to us as we track our progress forward. You can find all the report forms online.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Use media to tell Congress to protect renters
Tell Congress and the President to get fair and just deal done now
Last week, congressional and White House negotiators failed to reach an agreement on the next COVID-19 relief package. Negotiators could not overcome several issues, particularly the size of the bill, and talks have stalled. We don’t know if negotiators will try again. We do know that until they do, millions of Americans will continue to suffer from the direct effects of COVID-19 and the economic collapse it has wrought.
There is some good news. Reports were that the two sides had made progress on some issues, including bipartisan support for an eviction moratorium and rental assistance, along with an increase in SNAP benefits. Your advocacy over the last few months helped create that consensus and will be important if and when talks resume.
Meanwhile on Saturday, President Trump proposed executive policies on several issues, including evictions. This eviction Executive Order is particularly troublesome and misleading. The President’s order does not extend the eviction moratorium for federally-backed housing that expired on July 24; it merely directs federal agencies to determine if halting evictions is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But a new moratorium is not just about stopping the virus; it’s also about helping families stay in their homes. Economist Mark Zandi estimates that renters already owe $25 billion in back rent could owe as much as $70 billion by the end of the year and, in a new report, Aspen Institute researchers estimate 30-40 million people are at risk of eviction by the end of the year. This order does little to help.
TAKE ACTION: Policymakers must return to negotiations and prioritize housing assistance in a final package. Flood local media with letters to the editor expressing your outrage and frustration with this inexcusable failure. Use our updated media alert to call on members of Congress and President Trump by name to enact a fair and just COVID-19 deal NOW that includes $100 billion in rental assistance and a national moratorium on evictions.
You can also reconnect to Congressional aides sharing Zandi’s estimate that renters already owe $25 billion in back rent and the new estimate that 40 million people are at risk of eviction, or send a quick message to directly to your members of Congress urging them to get back to work on fixing America’s housing crisis.
QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY
One-third of renters expected to miss August payment. A stunning 34 percent of American renters expressed little or no confidence they could make their rent payment in August. The data comes for the Household Pulse Survey from the U.S. Census conducted at the end of July. As unemployment insurance and evictions moratoria expire, that number is likely to go up.
Use media to protect SNAP. RESULTS has also been advocating for a 15 percent boost in SNAP benefits as part of a new COVID-19 bill. With hunger and food prices on the rise, increasing SNAP benefits is critical in helping families keep food on the table during the pandemic. In addition to media on rental assistance (see above), submit another letter to the editor urging Congress to increase SNAP in the next COVID relief bill.
RESULTS Announcements
Register for the September National Webinar. Beginning in September, you will need a password to access our monthly national webinars. Please fill out our new webinar registration form to get on the list to receive the password two days before the webinar. Also, please note that due to the Labor Day holiday, our next national webinar will be Saturday, September 12 at 1:00 pm ET.
Putting The Righteous Mind into practice. The recent book club for The Righteous Mind will meet tonight, August 11 at 9:00 pm ET. Join this training to practice applying ideas from the book to RESULTS’ laser talks, rewriting them to appeal to different audiences. Join the meeting here, meeting ID: 655 036 085, passcode: 641539. If you’d like to suggest other actions for the book club, e-mail Jim Driggers.
Join RESULTS quarterly meeting with Grassroots Board Members. Come this Thursday, August 13 at 9:00 pm ET to share your thoughts, concerns, and ideas about RESULTS with your RESULTS Grassroots Board Members, including your two brand new Board members Lindsay Saunders and Lily Callaway. Join at:
https://results.zoom.us/j/346713949
or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 346 713 949.
Request Zoom Pro account for your group. We want to empower your group to meet during this social distancing season! If your local RESULTS group does not currently have a Zoom Pro account (paid for by RESULTS) but would now like one, please fill out this form ASAP. Our hope is to extend the Zoom Pro accounts for groups who want them through the end of 2020, and perhaps beyond. Please complete the form if you now want an account (only one per group, please).
Join continued book discussion on racism. The RESULTS Anti-Oppression Grassroots Group will host the next book discussion on So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo on Tuesday, August 18. In this discussion, we’ll briefly review what was covered on the last call, talk about the remaining chapters (chapters 6-end), and brainstorm ways to take action. The webinar is August 18 at 9:00 pm ET. Join by logging in at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dialing (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 390 106 571. Also, if you are interested in joining the Anti-Oppression Grassroots Group, please contact Jos Linn for more information.
Visit coronavirus blog for updates. Read the RESULTS coronavirus blog for the latest updates and actions you can take.
Receive action alerts via text. We are setting up a system to send some of our action alerts via text. If you’d like to receive text action alerts, please text RESULTS to 50457 to sign up for text action alerts.
Upcoming Events
Congressional schedule. Members of Congress are currently in their home states and districts. Submit your remote meeting requests today.
Tuesday, August 11: New Advocate Orientation, 12:00 pm ET. Sign up online.
Tuesday, August 11: Putting The Righteous Mind into Practice webinar, 9:00 pm ET. Join the meeting using this link, meeting ID: 655 036 085, passcode: 641539.
Thursday, August 13: Quarterly meeting with RESULTS Grassroots Board Members, 9:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/346713949
or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 346 713 949.
Monday, August 17: Global Poverty Free Agents Webinars, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/464361707 or, by phone, (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 464361707.
Tuesday, August 18: U.S. Poverty Free Agents Webinars, 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.
Tuesday, August 18: So You Want to Talk About Race book discussion, 9:00 pm ET. Login at https://results.zoom.us/j/390106571 or dialing (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 390 106 571.
Wednesday, August 26: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Sign up online.
Monday, September 7: Labor Day. All RESULTS offices closed.
Saturday, September 12: RESULTS National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/994444828. You can also join by phone at (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 994 444 828. Please register for the webinar to receive the password to login.
Grassroots Resources
Learn 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.
Find actions and volunteer resources on our Current Volunteers page, including our anti-oppression resources.
Remember to please report your recent grassroots successes in lobby meetings, media pieces, and outreach activities.
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.