RESULTS Weekly Update January 28, 2025
Quote of the Week
“We call on members of Congress to urge the administration to reverse the Stop-Work Order. We must act now to prevent irreparable devastation.”
– RESULTS Executive Director Joanne Carter in a January 27 press statement
(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”)
Take action to preserve foreign aid
Last Friday, we reported the Trump Administration has taken radical steps to undermine the fight against global poverty. The Administration has issued a “Stop-Work Order” on almost all foreign aid programs around the world. To say this action was reckless and dangerous is a vast understatement. Overnight, communities around the world will see essential services for health care, nutrition, education, and more disappear. The lives of countless people are at risk and alliances the U.S. has developed could be irreparably damaged. Members of Congress must respond forcefully and quickly. Please email representatives and senators directly, and urge them in the media, to oppose this action and work to reverse it.
Join Saturday’s National Webinar with Dr. Atul Gawande
In response to the Trump Administration’s attack on foreign aid, we are shifting the agenda for this weekend’s February National Webinar. We are now pleased to welcome Dr. Atul Gawande as our guest speaker. Dr. Gawande is a NY Times best-selling author and former Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. He will discuss the impact of the “Stop-Work Order” and why we need to act now to oppose it. We’ll also review actions you can take on our other global and U.S. poverty priorities. Please join us for this important opportunity to come together, learn, and take action. The webinar is this Saturday, February 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Register today! Note: we apologize to those who were looking forward to hearing from former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH); we are working to rebook him for a webinar later this spring.
Federal payment freeze causing confusion, prompts court action
If the Trump Administration’s Stop-Work Order weren’t bad enough, the Administration had also planned to stop all federal payments to programs and agencies here in the U.S. If carried out, this order will be devastating to communities around the country. The order has caused a great deal of confusion because it is unclear what is and is not included in the freeze. Fortunately, late today a federal judge imposed a stay on the freeze until February 3 (it is unclear at this time if the stay also applies to the halting of foreign aid funds). Regardless of what happens in court, this action is another unlawful obstruction of the will of Congress. Congress controls where federal spending goes, not the President. We continue to gather information and send updates and actions when next steps are clearer. In the meantime, please continue to request lobby meetings with your members of Congress as part of our Actions and Allies campaign. These recent actions magnify the importance of meeting with lawmakers as soon as possible.
Join Global Fund 101 training next week
Before year’s end, world leaders will come together to recommit to the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. These three diseases are three of the world’s biggest killers — and drivers of poverty. During this webinar we’ll examine what makes the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria unique and how our advocacy can help get the U.S. government to recommit. This Global Fund 101 training is Thursday, February 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Register today!
TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): Take action to protect foreign aid, register for the February National Webinar, register for Global Fund training, and schedule your First 100 Days lobby meetings. RESULTS will monitor the domestic program funding freeze and keep you in the loop.
Quick Links: Action Center, Events Calendar