RESULTS Weekly Update August 31, 2021

Quote of the Week

“President Joe Biden and Congress must act urgently to lead and fund the global campaign to bring together industry, governments, and health institutions to accelerate the global supply and distribution of vaccines.”

                              — RESULTS South Carolina Volunteer Jim Hennigan in an August 25 letter to the editor in the Post and Courier (SC)

Table of Contents

• Congress works on budget reconciliation; key decisions in the next two weeks
• Administration leadership needed on global vaccine access
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• RESULTS Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Congress works on budget reconciliation; key decisions in the next two weeks

We hope you are having a relaxing August break! While we are deeply concerned about the removal of the eviction moratorium with the budget resolution passed and a budgetary framework established, Congress takes the next crucial step in the budget reconciliation in the coming weeks: drafting the recovery bill. ey committees in both chambers are working behind the scenes these next two weeks to draft the texts of the massive legislative vehicle that will potentially make the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) expansions permanent and include $180 billion in guaranteed multi-year funding for Housing Choice Vouchers. The House Ways & Means Committee is expected to mark up their portion of the bill (related to tax policies like the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, amongst other policies) starting on September 9, while the House Financial Services Committee will mark up theirs (including housing policies and more) on September 13. Now is the time to reach out to members of these key House committees, or to members of Congress urging them weigh in with committee leadership, and voice your support for including our anti-poverty priorities in the recovery bill! It would be difficult to make changes once the committees have drafted their respective parts of the massive reconciliation bill. Lawmakers are making important decisions now on once-in-a-generation set of policies that expand access to housing, reduce child poverty, expand health care, and create a fairer tax code.

Making the CTC and EITC expansions permanent is critical to combatting poverty. Monthly CTC credits reduce hunger and food insecurity for families, a recent study shows. Want to share some inspiration with Congressional offices about the CTC? In new videos, Kali Daugherty and Clara Moore, RESULTS advocates and Experts on Poverty, weigh in on the benefits of monthly child allowance and why Congress should make it permanent.

After the Supreme Court struck down the federal eviction moratorium last week, millions of families behind on rent are now at risk of losing their homes while the pandemic rages on. Unfortunately, Congress does not have the votes needed to pass a new eviction moratorium. Check out RESULTS’ recent blog post on the eviction moratorium and how the Supreme Court’s decision highlighted the importance of long-term investments to address the affordable housing crisis. Nevertheless, the Biden Administration and House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) still plan to take additional actions to protect vulnerable renters, mostly focused on what states and localities should do to prevent unnecessary evictions. And even though there is political gridlock in Congress on stopping evictions across the country, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, in a recent call with housing advocates, said that Congress can still put a spotlight on the need for emergency rental assistance. If you or someone you know need rental assistance, you can find more information about it here.

ACTION TO TAKE: If you are looking to get back into action this week, use the actions below to influence lawmakers writing economic recovery legislation as we speak.

• Send e-mails to your members of Congress. Take action sending an e-mail telling your representatives and senators to expand housing choice vouchers and the extend the new EITC/CTC provisions in economic recovery legislation. Be sure to personalize your message by sharing why you care about the issue.
• Submit a letter to the editor. Use local media to get the attention of your members of Congress, urging them to support our housing and tax policies The August U.S. Poverty Action has Laser Talks you can use a template for letters to the editor (you can also send LTEs directly from our website).
• Attend a virtual congressional town hall and ask a question. Town halls are a great way to ask lawmakers to publicly commit to supporting expanding Housing Choice Vouchers and the EITC/CTC. Use our updated U.S. Poverty Laser Talks to draft your questions.

If you have questions about taking action, please contact Meredith Dodson or Michael Santos for assistance.

Administration leadership needed on global vaccine access

August break is winding down, but the opportunity to make an impact remains. We still find ourselves needing to sound the alarm for global vaccine access.

The development of safe, effective vaccines against a deadly pandemic disease less than a year after it emerged is an extraordinary achievement, made possible by public investment in science and technology. It is unconscionable for rich countries to hoard the resources and know-how that could end the misery of COVID-19.

Effective vaccines can end this pandemic, but they’re not being produced fast enough to reach everyone who needs them. Nine out of ten people in low-income countries will not receive a single COVID-19 vaccination dose this year. Across the continent of Africa, just 1% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Health experts know that the only way to end the pandemic is to vaccinate everyone, so they are calling on President Biden to take bold action to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution.

TAKE ACTION: Call on President Biden to support expanding global access to the COVID-19 vaccine. We have multiple tools you can use and share. Use our media action alert to submit a letter to the editor, or use our current Global Poverty Action Sheet to encourage and enroll others in submitting. You can also contact President Biden directly through our vaccines action alert. You can even send published letters to your members of Congress and President Biden. If you have questions, please contact RESULTS staff for assistance.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Renters of color disproportionately harmed by landlords’ punitive actions. A recent study exploring the impact of the pandemic on landlords’ rental collection rates and practices reveal how “renters of color have disproportionately borne the negative impact of landlords’ decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Punitive actions landlords take, which are now more relevant because the federal CDC moratorium is no longer in effect, include applying late rental fees, filing eviction notices, and not offering rental forgiveness.

Positive rental payment history to be a factor in Fannie Mae’s mortgage underwriting process starting September 18. The move begins to address racial wealth inequality across the nation and is said to give historically underserved and discriminated communities of color greater access to homeownership through better, more inclusive mortgage underwriting policies. The effect of a positive rental payment history on increasing access to homeownership also underscores the need for Congress to put in place measures, such as providing long-term investments in Housing Choice Vouchers, that would stably house tenants in the long run.

Federal policies make it harder for noncitizens to move out of poverty. While the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the working class in the United States, many families turned to federal assistance programs for support to survive when things felt like they were falling apart. However, as the toll of the pandemic rose, the disparities between citizens and noncitizen residents widened astronomically. Read more on our blog. On a related note, RESULTS is endorsing LIFT the BAR Act soon to be introduced by U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). In 1996, Congress passed restrictive welfare and immigration legislation that created unnecessary barriers. The LIFT the BAR Act will restore access to federal public benefits for lawfully present immigrants, specifically the five-year bar in Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF, and SSI programming. It will also remove additional barriers that are impeding their ability to lift themselves out of poverty. If there are additional organizations you belong to that would like to endorse this Act, have them fill out this Google form.

Vaccine access disparities in Latin America. While many higher income countries seemingly return “back to normal” while grappling with the Delta and other COVID-19 variants, the need to get everyone vaccinated is clear. However, the process varies greatly depending on where you live. For example, the global south’s vaccination rate lags significantly behind the global north. Regions such as Latin America are among the areas of the world that display extreme need for vaccines in large numbers as soon as possible. Read more on our blog.

Announcements

Join National Webinar on September 11. After a month off, RESULTS will resume monthly National Webinars on Saturday, September 11 at 1:00 pm ET. Liz McKenna will be unable to join us this month, and we will keep you posted once an alternate speaker is secured. During the webinar, we’ll update you on the latest news on our U.S. and global campaigns and celebrate achievements from the grassroots. Please register and join us.

Register for “hybrid” meeting training tomorrow. With some volunteers wanting to resume meeting in person and others not yet comfortable doing so, hybrid meetings, which are conducted both in-person and virtually, may be our best answer in the coming months. Join us for a training tomorrow (Wednesday, September 1, 8:30 pm ET) on how to set up and run hybrid meetings. Register here.

Become a RESULTS Regional Coordinator. Regional Coordinators (RCs) are vital volunteer leaders in our network, helping to coach and support RESULTS groups around the country to be the best they can be. If you (or others) are interested in becoming a Regional Coordinator with RESULTS, or are simply interested in learning more about the role, please contact Lisa Marchal.

Getting “unstuck” with your members of Congress. Are you struggling to move your member of Congress into action? Then this is the series for you! In six monthly sessions, you’ll gain skills using the Motivational Interviewing process to have an effective dialogue with members of Congress you struggle to move into action, as well as to have meaningful value-based conversations with others. This training will help you transcend the adversarial mindset and use values-based advocacy to make the case for change. The first 90-minute session is Tuesday, September 21 at 9:00 pm ET. Register here for the series.

Learn how to lead with your natural strengths. The GALLUP CliftonStrengths assessment helps to identify the areas where you, and your group, have the greatest potential by measuring your recurring patterns in thought, feeling, and behavior. Join our September workshop to learn how to leverage your natural strengths to excel in leadership roles within your RESULTS group, your community, and beyond. Register today to receive a code to do your online assessment that you will bring to the workshop. The first session is Tuesday, September 28 at 8:30 pm ET. Register here.

RESULTS Fellowship open for applications. Recruitment for the RESULTS Organizing and Advocacy Fellowship application is underway. The RESULTS Fellowship is an 11-month program designed for activists ages 20-35 to harness the power of their voices, sharpen their advocacy and organizing skills, and be in action with dozens of other dynamic young leaders. Closing date for applications is October 15. If you are interested in applying, go to www.results.org/fellowship.

Calling all Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. The Global Allies Program: Partners Ending Poverty with RESULTS (GAP) aims to train and engage Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) in advocacy that will have impact, and to connect RPCVs to like-minded and experienced advocates in the RESULTS grassroots network. If you are a RPCV passionate to keep making a difference, join a kickoff meeting on September 16 at 8:30 pm ET and learn how you can take action on improving global health, education and economic development. Register here.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are on recess this week. Submit your remote meeting requests today.

Wednesday, September 1: How to Run Hybrid Meetings, 8:30 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Saturday, September 11: RESULTS National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Wednesday, September 15: Action Network Monthly Webinar, 12:30 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Wednesday, September 15: Action Network Monthly Webinar, 8:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Thursday, September 16: Global Allies Program Kickoff Meeting for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, 8:30 PM ET. Learn more and register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Tuesday, September 21: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. If you are interested in joining, contact Jos Linn for more information.

Tuesday, September 21: Motivational Interviewing training (session 1), 9:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Thursday, September 23: U.S. Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Thursday, September 23: Global Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Monday, September 27: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. If you are interested in joining, contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Tuesday, September 28: Discovering Yourself as a Leader workshop, 8:30 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

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.