RESULTS Campaigns Weekly Update February 11, 2020
Quote of the Week
“As long as communicable diseases remain a global threat to public health, immunization remains a key global defense.”
– RESULTS Oak Park, IL volunteer Oscar Lanzi in a February 2, 2020 letter to the editor in the Northwest Indiana Times
Table of Contents
- Global Poverty Campaigns Update
- U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
- RESULTS Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Global Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Ask Congress to invest in global health and education
Got Five Minutes? Call your legislators’ schedulers to book face-to-face meetings
Reach out to your legislators’ schedulers today and arrange meetings on our appropriations requests for FY21. There will be a congressional recess next week, so don’t hesitate to make that call. Our appropriations materials are available for your meetings, including memos/backgrounders on each of our requests and the comprehensive January action sheet. With these tools, and a bit of practice with our latest laser talk on asking for meetings, you can make a great meeting happen with confidence.
Before your meetings, gather your fellow advocates and start writing. A stack of letters to your members of Congress, asking that our global poverty funding priorities be forwarded to the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, will make an impression. You could even take the letters with you to your face-to-face congressional meetings. Enroll others in advocacy using our February Action Sheet.
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes to contact your congressional offices and their schedulers. Book meetings for you and your group to discuss our global poverty appropriations requests. Be bold in asking that these meetings be with the legislators themselves. You can use our new meeting request letter or our laser talk to make the process easier.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Make your FY21 appropriations requests
Haven’t gotten a face-to-face meeting yet? Don’t worry, but don’t wait. Use our appropriations memos/backgrounders on each of our requests and submit those requests to your senators and representative. If you need it, we also have a great explainer on the appropriations process – what it is and how it works. Additionally, we have a “cheat sheet” blog post deciphering terms often used during appropriations.
TAKE ACTION: Take fifteen minutes to acquaint yourselves with our FY21 appropriations requests. Then submit your requests to each of your members of Congress. Offices need these requests now, so they have time to act on them.
QUICK NEWS ON GLOBAL POVERTY
FY21 House Maternal and Child Health, Gavi, Nutrition Dear Colleague Letter open for signers. A “sign-on” letter (also called a “Dear Colleague” letter) is like a petition in Congress. These letters are circulated by leaders in Congress to ask other members to support robust or specific funding levels for issues on which we work. RESULTS typically works on several of these each year, and we have our first letter now available in the House. This letter is on the issue of maternal and child health, Gavi, and nutrition. Review our latest information on the leaders of the letter, the details of the letter, and instructions on getting your representative signed on.
U.S. Poverty Campaigns Update
QUICK ACTION Tell Congress to support a renters’ tax credit
Got Five Minutes? President’s budget highlights importance of lobby meetings (February Action)
Yesterday, the Trump Administration released its fiscal year 2021 budget proposal. For low-income Americans, it is bad news. In 2021 alone, the Housing Choice Voucher program would see a 21 percent cut ($5 billion in funding), which puts 160,000 families at risk of losing assistance. In addition, the President is proposing deep cuts over the next decade to SNAP ($182 billion cut), Medicaid and the ACA ($1 trillion cut), Medicare ($465 billion cut), and the EITC and CTC ($79 billion cut).
RESULTS strongly opposes the harsh cuts to human needs programs proposed in the President’s budget. While these cuts are unlikely to pass with the current Congress, do not let that fact detract you from making it clear to Congress that no matter who is in the White House or Congress, these proposals are wrong for our country. Otherwise, the idea of forcing millions into poverty to finance tax cuts for the wealthy becomes mainstream. Your first opportunity is next week when both the House and Senate will be on recess. Your members of Congress need to hear from you – tell them to publicly stand up for workers and families struggling to make ends meet, starting with those struggling to pay rent.
TAKE ACTION: Take five minutes to contact schedulers about face-to-face meetings with your representatives and senators February 17-21. Customize and send our meeting request letter to schedule your meetings (or use our new laser talk to call them). In your meetings, ask them to take a public stance in support of the renters’ tax credit. Review the February Action to plan your meetings and write letters to hand-deliver. The February webinar slides and recording, updated housing laser talks and affordable housing policy request sheet are there to help you as well. Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson for coaching.
Got Fifteen Minutes? Write letters to Congress about the renters’ credit (February Action)
Here are the facts. No one earning the federal minimum wage can afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the U.S. One reason for this is that since 1960, average rents have increased 61 percent while renter incomes have only risen 5 percent (adjusted for inflation). Congress can increase housing affordability by creating a “renters’ tax credit” for low- and moderate-income renters. Households would receive a refundable tax credit for rental costs above 30 percent of their household income up to the local fair market rent. Columbia University researchers estimate that some recent renters’ credit proposals would benefit more than 25 million families in the U.S., lifting more than 9 million people out of poverty. You have the facts. What can you do?
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to write letters to your representative and both senators urging them to support a renters’ credit. Invite others to write letters with you. Page 2 of our February Action has all the info you need to write powerful letters (include info on your state’s lack of affordable housing and what housing costs). If you have a lobby meeting scheduled, plan to hand-deliver your letters. If you must wait for a meeting, send them to the closest local office or e-mail them to the housing aide.
QUICK NEWS ON U.S. POVERTY
Join housing webinar on Thursday. Housing advocates are hosting a webinar on the Trump Administration’s proposed rule to undermine civil rights protections in housing. Join the webinar this Thursday at 2:00 pm ET to learn more about the rule and actions you can take to oppose it. Register for the webinar here. You can also submit your comment today opposing the rule.
RESULTS Announcements
Complete and submit your 2020 Roadmap ASAP. Please submit your 2020 Roadmap as soon as possible using our online form. If you have yet to complete your roadmap, please be in contact with members of your local RESULTS group and schedule your 2020 Roadmap discussion. The 2020 Roadmap resources are on the RESULTS Outreach & Planning page under “My group wants to make our plans.” Be sure to read the 2020 Roadmap Guide before meeting and again, please submit your group’s 2020 Roadmap online. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Lisa Marchal or Jos Linn.
Join discussion tonight about White Fragility. In our ongoing series of learning opportunities about combatting oppression, join us for an interactive discussion of the book White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. This best-selling book explores the assumptions many white people have about race and the negative reactions created when those assumptions challenged. It also offers constructive alternatives that can lead us closer to reconciliation and justice. The webinar is tonight, February 11 at 9:00 pm ET. To join, log in at: https://results.zoom.us/j/807783478 or dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 807 783 478.
Join the RESULTS Grassroots Board Public Meeting next week. If you have needs, suggestions, concerns, thoughts, ideas, and questions on the present and future of RESULTS, the RESULTS Grassroots Board Members are holding their second quarterly public meeting next week. They want to hear from you: your needs, suggestions, concerns, thoughts, ideas, and questions. Join the meeting on Tuesday, February 18 at 9:00 pm ET at https://results.zoom.us/j/292096907. You can also join by phone by dialing either (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 292 096 907.
Register for the RESULTS International Conference. Join us in Washington, DC this June 20-23 for RESULTS International Conference celebrating RESULTS 40th year. Nobel Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, and other honored guests will be there. How about you? Register today – the early bird registration rate deadline is April 20 and the hotel block is available until May 20.
Celebrating RESULTS’ 40th Birthday. In addition to the exciting time we’ll have at the 2020 International Conference, we’re marking our 40th birthday all year! Go back in time to the start of RESULTS with this fabulous new RESULTS Blog post from RESULTS founder Sam Daley-Harris.
RESULTS Fellowship applications open. The RESULTS Fellowship (formerly named the REAL Change Fellowship) is now taking application for the 2020-21 class until April 30. Find more info and the application on the RESULTS website.
Upcoming Events
Congressional recesses. Both the House and Senate will be on recess the week of February 17. Submit your meeting requests today.
Tuesday, February 11: Book Discussion, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, 9 pm ET. To join, log in at: https://results.zoom.us/j/807783478 or dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID 807 783 478.
Monday, February 17: Presidents’ Day holiday. All RESULTS offices closed.
Tuesday, February 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, February 18: RESULTS Grassroots Board Public Meeting, 9:00 pm ET. Join at https://results.zoom.us/j/292096907 or dial either (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, meeting ID: 292 096 907.
Wednesday, February 26: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm. ET. If you or someone you know are new to RESULTS, join us for New Advocate Orientation. During this live webinar, you’ll interact with RESULTS staff and other new volunteers, learn more about our advocacy model and issues, and get information on next steps. Sign up here.
Wednesday, March 4: RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice Webinar, 8:30pm ET. To join, log in to https://results.zoom.us/j/427674133 or dial in to 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 427 674 133. You can also join our Facebook and e-mail groups.
Saturday, March 7: RESULTS United 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.
Monday, March 16: Global Free Agents Webinars. 1:00 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Join a great conversation via https://results.zoom.us/j/285681999 or, by phone, dial (669) 900-6833 or (929) 436-2866, meeting ID: 285 681 999.
June 20-23, 2020: RESULTS International Conference. Capital Hilton, Washington, DC. Register today!
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.
Please let us know about your recent grassroots successes for lobby meetings, media, and outreach.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
RESULTS Staff directory.