RESULTS Weekly Update January 13, 2026

Quote of the Week

“All people need enough to eat, health care that works for them, a place to live and wages that will pay for it.” 

– RESULTS Snohomish advocate Willie Dickerson in a January 6 letter to the editor in The Columbian (WA)  

(Is this newsletter too long; didn’t read (TL;DR) the whole thing? Scroll to the bottom for the most important points or the “TL;DR”) 

Congress inches toward a budget – tell them to finish strong

With weeks left before the January 30 deadline for Congress to pass the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget, we have real momentum. This weekend delivered meaningful progress for our global poverty priorities. Bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate released their proposed FY26 funding for the State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) bill, which includes foreign assistance. 

Key FY26 SFOPS highlights (compared to FY25):

• Global Fund: $1.25 billion (–$400 million), with directive language supporting the new pledge and requiring the Administration to fully spend prior-year funds 

• Tuberculosis: $378.72 million (–$15.78 million) 

• Maternal & Child Health: $915 million (no change) 

• Includes $300 million for Gavi (no change) and language establishing a multi-year pledge 

• Nutrition: $165 million (no change) 

• Basic Education: $691.5 million (–$230 million but consistent with prior Senate levels) 

• Global Partnership for Education: $127 million (no change) 

Finally, and most importantly, there is strong accountability language requiring the administration to clearly outline how and when funds are spent. 

This is a significant win. In a political environment hostile to foreign assistance, Congress is choosing to invest, and to protect those investments with oversight. That didn’t happen by accident. Your sustained advocacy and pushback against last year’s cuts made this outcome possible. The funding is still not high enough, and we will continue to push for more funding each year. But this proposal is proof that advocacy delivers results. 

Now Congress must finish the job. Lawmakers need to pass the bipartisan SFOPS bill and fully fund the T-HUD and Labor-HHS bills, which support essential anti-poverty programs like Housing Choice Vouchers, Head Start, and childcare. We cannot afford further delays or another shutdown. 

Please contact your foreign policy and housing aides for your representatives and senators this week. Send them our updated leave-behind and tell them to: 

• Vote YES on the bipartisan FY26 SFOPS agreement and press the administration to fully spend remaining FY25 funds 

• Tell leadership to fund Housing Choice Vouchers at the Senate level or higher ($33.97 Billion) in the final FY26 T-HUD funding bill 

• Support strong safeguards to ensure funds are spent promptly and as Congress directs 

You can find details on our U.S. and global priorities for this FY26 budget at our new Building a Better Future page. We will continue to update this page all year as we work to complete this budget and move into our 2026 campaign priorities. Listen to the recording of the January National Webinar with Meredith Dodson of Coalition on Human Needs. She detailed the state of play and what is at stake in budget negotiations. Also, amplify your voice by submitting letters to the editor calling on Congress prioritize ending poverty. RESULTS staff and online action alerts are ready to support you. 

IMPORTANT ACTION ON SNAP! As you know, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is America’s largest and most effective nutrition assistance program. Unfortunately, Congress passed deep cuts to SNAP in 2025 that will push millions deeper into hunger. A big part of these cuts is requiring states to shoulder the cost of SNAP benefits. There is now a push to delay these cuts, in large part to confusing guidance from USDA and the disruption of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown last fall. This Thursday, January 15, advocates from around the country will urge Congress to delay the cost-shift provision. Look for an action alert from RESULTS and plan to take action. 

Please complete your group rosters and congressional coverage!

Your group member rosters and your congressional coverage are two of the most previous pieces of information you offer RESULTS in your group roadmaps each year. These pieces help us advocate efficiently, strategically, and accurately. Later in the year, we’ll tackle more steps in group planning. But for now, group member rosters and congressional coverage updates will be extremely valuable. We celebrated your 45 years of impact at the end of last year (did you see the report?), and we’re posed to go from strength to strength. This roadmap work is the first step! If you need support accessing your roadmap spreadsheets, please contact your Regional Coordinators or RESULTS Grassroots Staff. We will be happy to help.  

Do not miss!

Save the date for the 2026 RESULTS National Conference! As announced on the January National Webinar, we are thrilled to hold a National Conference July 12-14, 2026 in our nation’s capital. It will be three days of building relationships, learning, and taking action on Capitol Hill. We will have more details in the coming weeks on our National Conference page. For now, please mark your calendars and plan to join us!  

Still time to RSVP for Rovina’s Choice. Join RESULTS for a screening and discussion of the short film Rovina’s Choice. The film follows one family and the ripple effects of the U.S. foreign aid freeze. The event is Wednesday, January 21 at 8 p.m. ET. RSVP today for this important film screening.    

Register for the International Learning Exchange. On Sunday, February 8 at 4 p.m. ET, we will hold the International Learning Exchange and hope you will join us. This webinar will last 75-90 minutes and is the kick-off of an effort to help grassroots advocates from all over the global RESULTS network meet, connect, and learn from each other. Please register today!  

TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): Speak up for our priorities as Congress completes the FY26 budget. Watch for a SNAP action alert on January 15.  Update group rosters and congressional coverage. Consider attending the 2026 National Conference in Washington, DC. RSVP for a special film screening in January. Register for an International Learning Exchange in February.  

Quick Links: Action Center, Events Calendar, National Webinar recordings