RESULTS Weekly Update August 2, 2022

Quote of the Week

“If Congress is willing to help wealthy corporations, they should be willing to do the same for grandparents and other struggling families raising children.”

– RESULTS Seattle volunteer Zelda Foxall in the August edition of the AgeWise King County

Table of Contents

• READ Act sees progress. Keep going!
• Use the August recess to keep attention on the CTC
• Join the August National Webinar this Saturday
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

READ Act sees progress. Keep going!

The READ Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 has been introduced in both the House and Senate (H.R.7240, S.3938), and we’re celebrating (with a terrific detailed blog post) that it has passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This legislation would reauthorize the original 2017 READ Act for another five years, enabling the U.S. to lead on global equity in access to education. The reauthorization will help improve literacy and numeracy, boost monitoring and evaluation, and help the U.S. contribute to meaningful progress in helping children across the globe access quality education.

As mentioned, we are excited that the legislation as moved through the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We must now continue to gain House and Senate co-sponsors and call for House leadership to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Track the progress of the READ Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 and check to see if your members of Congress are supporters. Then put your advocacy know-how into action.

TAKE ACTION: Ask for co-sponsors for the READ Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 and for House leadership to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Use our new August Action Sheet to reach out specifically to your senators, write a letter to the editor, or even ask a question at a townhall. Or utilize our latest action alert to contact both the House and the Senate. Congress must ensure the U.S. continues to lead in supporting quality, accessible education for all.

Use the August recess to keep attention on the CTC

Congress is heading into its annual month-long summer recess. The House is already out and the Senate is expected to follow suit in the next two weeks. August is a prime time for lawmakers to hold public town hall events in their districts and states. And with an important election coming in November, they (and candidates challenging them) are eager to connect with constituents. You can take advantage of this schedule to remind lawmakers and candidates that they have unfinished business – namely, expanding the Child Tax Credit.

It was announced last week that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) had agreed to a budget reconciliation package (for details, see today’s entry from our Latest from Capitol Hill blog post) that would lower the cost of prescription drugs, extend health insurance subsidies for millions of Americans, invest in renewable energy, and raise taxes on the wealthy. These are important improvements but, as expected, the plan does not include an extension of the Child Tax Credit (CTC).

It’s been nearly 8 months since families received their last CTC monthly payment and families are struggling. We must continue to pressure lawmakers to take action on the CTC this year. Recess events and meetings are an excellent opportunity to apply that pressure.

TAKE ACTION: Use the August 2022 U.S. Poverty Action to draft a powerful, personal question to ask about the Child Tax Credit at August recess events. Use the story of why this issue matters to you to urge Congress and candidates to put children and families first by expanding the CTC. The Action Sheet uses the EPIC Laser Talk format to help you draft and powerful question. It also provides tips for finding local events. Finally, if you have yet to meet face-to-face with members of Congress this year, ask for a sit-down meeting in August with them to talk about the CTC. Your new laser talk (and ones RESULTS has provided) will work just fine in meetings too.

Also, keep using the media to keep the spotlight on passing a CTC expansion this year. See this section from last week’s Update to help you draft a powerful letter to the editor.

Join the August National Webinar this Saturday

The next RESULTS National Webinar is this Saturday, August 6 at 1:00 pm ET. This is an important webinar to attend, as we will map out our plans for the rest of 2022. After hearing context for our fall campaigns, our Expansion Team will do a terrific deep dive on all the new resources available to help you and your group be healthy, vibrant, and fresh. Come on along for great tips, tools, and stories. Register for the webinar today. Note: all advocates should join at 1:00 pm ET and stay on the for the duration of the webinar.

TAKE ACTION: Please register for this Saturday’s National Webinar. Once registered, you will receive login information later this week via e-mail (please check your junk or spam folders if you have not received anything by Friday afternoon). You can also access the webinar slides (and later the recording) on our National Webinars page.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Has your Democratic rep signed the House CTC letter? Help us get more House members to sign on to the letter urging congressional leaders to pass an expansion of the CTC in any tax bill extending corporate tax breaks. Follow this link to find a draft e-mail you can send to House tax aides explaining the context and how to sign on, as well as the text of the letter itself. The deadline for members to sign has been extended through August. See the current list of signers (column G).

New housing data released. Last week, the National Low Income Housing Coalition released its updated publication, Out of Reach, The High Cost of Housing. The report highlights the “housing wage,” i.e., how much you need to earn to afford a modest apartment in any state. On average, the national housing wage is $25.82 per hour for a modest two-bedroom home or $21.25 per hour for a one-bedroom home. Record high inflation and rent increases are putting pressure on struggling renter households, highlighting a great demand for affordability. And with Congress still unable to reach a deal to provide substantial investments on our housing infrastructure, we expect to hear more from the Biden administration in the coming months to address this affordable housing crisis.

Ask Senate to bring global malnutrition bill to the floor. The ravages of wasting, exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, threaten the lives and futures of people across the globe. The bipartisan Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021 proposes an approach to USAID nutrition assistance that is clear, targeted, and focused on families and children most affected. The House version of this bill has passed and has moved through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Now, use our action alert to ask your senators to request that leadership bring the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021 to the floor for a vote.

Promising appropriations news. The appropriations process in the Senate has yielded good news for Global Fund and global COVID-19 funding. Read more on our blog.

Media hooks of the week. To help you in your media advocacy, here are suggested media “hooks” this week to use in letters to the editor:

• U.S. Poverty: Democrats want to pass a new reconciliation bill soon that would include tax increases on multi-millionaires and big corporations. These are welcomed changes to make the tax code fairer, but we also need tax policy that helps families. Expanding the Child Tax Credit should be Congress’ next priority.
• Global Poverty: Share recent statistics from UNICEF on child wasting and craft a letter that has impact. Don’t forget to personalize your letter, explaining why you are passionate about this issue. Illustrate what is at stake if we don’t act.

Announcements

Join candidate engagement training next week. There is a lot at stake in the fall elections, and people can feel it—so many of us are yearning to make a difference. This is a perfect time to tap into the energy and angst around elections and recruit new advocates. It’s also a great time to ensure that RESULTS issues are discussed in the public. Join us to learn how to make the most of election townhalls and other public events. In addition to learning the tactics of “birddogging” candidates, you’ll get ideas about engaging people in your community in the transformational advocacy of birddogging. The training is Tuesday August 9 at 8:30 pm ET. Join using this Zoom link or dial 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 967 3380 6790, passcode: 764508.

Time for a mid-year Roadmap review. Now is a good time to do a mid-year review of your 2022  Group Roadmaps. At your next scheduled group meeting in August, take stock on the things you’ve accomplished this year, and what you set out to accomplish for the balance of 2022. This will help set you up for success in the coming months. Use our Mid-year Roadmap Review Guide and Mid-Year Group Health Check to help with your review.

Could you be a Regional Coordinator? Knowledgeable coach. Persistent collaborator. Advocacy leader. These phrases, and more, describe the work of a volunteer Regional Coordinator. We are so fortunate to have a wonderful group of Regional Coordinators in the RESULTS network. Could you be one? We’re recruiting. Watch this brief and helpful video about the role (featuring current Regional Coordinator Yesenia Sanchez) and inquire to Lisa Marchal at [email protected].

Register for August Policy Forums. Our monthly Policy Forums return this month on Thursday, August 18! For the U.S. Forum at 8:00 pm ET, we’re going back to the basics with a focus on the intersection between housing and the tax code. Michael Santos, RESULTS Senior Policy Associate, will provide critical updates on our housing work, a deep dive on renter’s tax credits and its impact, and the work ahead to make our tax system an effective fiscal tool to provide relief for struggling renters. Immediately following, at 9:00 pm ET, the Global Poverty Policy Forum will provide details on our fall global legislative priorities around health, education, and nutrition. Register for the U.S. Forum here and the Global Forum here.

Register for August 23 Diversity and Inclusion 101 training. Join our work to dismantle systems of oppression and help reach the goal of having all RESULTS volunteers attend our “Diversity and Inclusion 101” training this year. Sessions resume next month, starting on Tuesday, August 23 at 12:00 pm ET. Seating is limited so register today.

Apply for the 2023 RESULTS Fellowship. We are now accepting applications for the 2023 class of the RESULTS Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship. For all the details on eligibility and how to apply, check out our website.

Your voices, your power. Take a look at this brand new blog post about the excitement and effectiveness of everything you did as advocates during Advocacy Month.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are in session this week.

Unless otherwise noted, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.

Saturday, August 6: RESULTS National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today.

Tuesday, August 9: Candidate Engagement Training, 8:30 pm ET. Join using this Zoom link or dial 669-900-6833, meeting ID: 967 3380 6790, passcode: 764508.

Thursday, August 11: Global Allies Program (with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), 8:30 pm ET. Register today!

Tuesday, August 16, U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information on how to join.

Tuesday, August 16, Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Find more information here.

Thursday, August 18: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Focus: Using the tax code to address America’s housing problem. Register here.

Thursday, August 18: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Focus: Fall global campaigns overview. Register here.

Monday, August 22: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for more information on how to join.

Tuesday, August 23: Diversity and Inclusion 101, 12:00 pm ET. Register here.

Saturday, August 27: Building Resilience in Challenging Times, 11:00 am ET. Read more and join here.

Grassroots Resources

Learn about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.

Find actions and volunteer resources on our Volunteers Hub, including our anti-oppression resources. To join the RESULTS listserv for more RESULTS conversation, send an email to [email protected].

Remember to please report your recent advocacy successes in lobby meetings, media, and outreach activities. Also, use our Volunteer Information Form to add or edit volunteer info and to sign up for updates and alerts.

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.