RESULTS Weekly Update October 4, 2022

Quote of the Week

“In essence, lower-income families used the [CTC] money the same way middle-income families do — to provide a healthy, safe and stable environment for their children..”

– RESULTS SW Washington volunteer Tonnie Cummings in a September 22 letter to the editor in The Columbian

Table of Contents

• Push the Child Tax Credit and housing with lawmakers and candidates
• Use the election to build momentum for the End TB Now Act
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Push the Child Tax Credit and housing with lawmakers and candidates

Congress has officially recessed for the election. Over the next five weeks, lawmakers and candidate will be making their case to voters on why they should be elected on November 8. RESULTS does not engage in advocacy over who should be elected. We advocate for what they should do once they are. That process starts well before Election Day.

On the October National Webinar, former Congressman David Jolly gave us an excellent overview of how to engage with candidates before an election. He counseled us that to be successful, you need to share stories, build relationships, and provide specific solutions. All things RESULTS volunteers are good at. Using those skills to push candidates to reinstate the expanded Child Tax Credit this month will help us get there.

Our goal over the next six weeks is to make sure: 1) current members of Congress go back to Washington after the election with a clear directive from constituents to expand the CTC this year; and 2) those same constituents expect the new Congress to enact a more equitable tax code, including enacting a renter’s tax credit (RTC).

November is a critical election. What happens after Election Day is just as critical. Start setting the foundation for that now.

TAKE ACTION: Urge members of Congress and congressional candidates to take action on tax fairness. For this Congress, tell them not to pass any corporate tax cuts this year without also expanding the Child Tax Credit for children and families. For the next Congress, tell them to bring equity to the tax code by enacting a renter’s tax credit. The slides from the October National Webinar have sample questions you can use in town halls and public events. Also, use the October 2022 U.S. Poverty Action to encourage new people to write letters about the CTC and the RTC. See additional resources on our Fall 2022 Campaign Resources page.

Finally, get trained on how best to engage with candidates this month by registering for our Candidate Engagement “Birddogging” workshop this Thursday, October 6 at 8:30 pm ET.

Use the election to build momentum for the End TB Now Act

On last weekend’s October National Webinar, former Congressman David Jolly told the story of how he was introduced to RESULTS. RESULTS Tampa volunteers Ken and Linda Schatz had written a letter to the editor urging him by name – he was newly elected to Congress – urging him to prioritize reducing global poverty. That’s all it took to get his attention.

You have that power too. This month candidates will be campaigning in full force. And more likely than not, they will not be talking about global tuberculosis (TB). That is your advantage. By attending events and asking them to support efforts to eradicate TB, starting with passing the End TB Now Act, you wield significant influence. Imagine the power you have if you are the first person to speak to them about this issue. Ken and Linda became embedded in the Congressman Jolly’s memory from that initial contact. From there, they made the effort to help him be an advocate in Congress on global poverty issues.

What person will you inspire this election season?

TAKE ACTION: Use these next five weeks to call on members of Congress and candidates to eradicate TB once and for all. Current members of Congress can start by supporting and passing the End TB Now Act (S.3386/H.R. 8654) by the end of the year. Use the October 2022 Global Poverty Action and the October National Webinar to draft a personal question for town halls and public events. Make sure to check our global poverty tracking chart to see who has already co-sponsored the bill. Also, use the October Action to invite new volunteers to write letters in support of the bill (or they can send an e-mail to their members of Congress). Find additional resources to help on our Fall 2022 Campaign Resources page.

Finally, get trained on how best to engage with candidates this month by registering for our Candidate Engagement “Birddogging” workshop this Thursday, October 6 at 8:30 pm ET.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Malnutrition and READ updates. As celebrated on the October National Webinar, the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act, which focuses on evidence-based interventions to address malnutrition will soon be signed into law. Congratulations and thank you for your hard work pushing this legislation through Congress this year! Also, the READ Act Reauthorization Act could be headed for the same outcome. The bill passed the House last month and it may now be on the Senate’s unanimous consent calendar. This is the process for passing uncontroversial bills; the malnutrition bill passed by unanimous consent last month. Our goal is for the Senate to pass it when they return to Washington after the election. No action is needed at this time; we will keep you posted if anything changes.

Biden Administration calls on Congress to make CTC permanent. At the White House Conference on Hunger last week, the Biden Administration said it was committed to “pushing for Congress to permanently extend the expanded, fully refunded [Child Tax Credit] CTC and expanded Earned Income Tax Credit.” This is a welcomed endorsement and reminder that Congress has unfinished business when it comes to reducing child poverty.

CBO report highlights wealth divide. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report last week analyzing the wealth gap in the U.S. over time. From the report: “Family wealth increased more in the top half of the distribution than in the bottom half. Families in the top 10 percent and in the top 1 percent of the distribution, in particular, saw their share of total wealth rise over the period. In 2019, families in the top 10 percent of the distribution held 72 percent of total wealth, and families in the top 1 percent of the distribution held more than one-third; families in the bottom half of the distribution held only 2 percent of total wealth.”

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: Use the new CBO report on wealth inequality to argue that Congress must not pass new tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations without also passing tax provisions to help families and children, starting with expanding the Child Tax Credit.
• Global Poverty: Thank members of Congress who supported the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act, which was signed into law last week. It is evidence that when Congress works together, we can solve real-world problems. Urge them to build on this bipartisan momentum by passing the End TB Now Act.

Announcements

Join candidate “bird-dogging” training on Thursday. October is the month for candidate engagement. Tap into the energy and interest around this election to advance our issues and recruit new advocates. Join RESULTS and Right to Health Action to learn how to make the most of election town halls and other public events this month. You’ll learn the tactics of “birddogging” candidates and get ideas about engaging people in your community. The webinar is Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 8:30 pm ET. This is a popular and excellent training. Register for the training today.

Join Microaggressions training on October 17. Join us for a two-hour workshop where participants will define the term, its history, and impact and build awareness of microaggressions in daily life. The training is Monday, October 17 at 11:00 am ET (this is the training rescheduled from September 15). Register for the webinar today.

Register for October 20 policy forums. Please join us for the October U.S. Poverty and Global Poverty Policy Forums on Thursday, October 20. On the U.S. Forum (register for the U.S. Forum at 8:00 pm ET), learn how to engage with lawmakers and candidates on the Renter’s Tax Credit and our long-term goal of achieving economic justice using the tax code. Danielle Bautista, a RESULTS volunteer in San Diego, will share her perspective on these topics. Please bring your questions. On the Global forum (register for the Global forum at 9:00 pm ET), we will talk tuberculosis. TB is the second leading infectious disease killer after COVID. And 95 percent of TB cases and deaths occur in low-income countries. On the forum, we’ll hear from people who have firsthand experience with TB to keep us motivated and inspired to pass the End TB Now Act.

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. The application deadline has been extended to November 30.

Upcoming Events

Congressional schedule. The House and Senate are on recess this week.

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

Thursday, October 6, New Advocate Orientation, 8:00 pm ET. Register for the orientation here.

Thursday, October 6: Candidate engagement “birddogging” training, 8:30 pm ET. Register here.

Wednesday, October 12, New Advocate Orientation, 12:00 pm ET. Register here.

Thursday, October 13: Global Allies Program (with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), 8:30 pm ET. Register today.

Tuesday, October 18: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.

Tuesday, October 18: Together Women Rise Advocacy Chapter with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more.

Wednesday, October 19: Media Office Hour, 2:00 pm ET. Join via Zoom at: https://results.zoom.us/j/93668005494 or (312) 626-6799, meeting ID: 936 6800 5494.

Wednesday, October 19, New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Register here.

Thursday, October 20: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Guest: Danielle Bautista. Register here.

Thursday, October 20: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register here.

Monday, October 24: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. Contact Lisa Marchal for information on how to join.

Saturday, November 5: Monthly National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register here.

Saturday, November 5: Diversity and Inclusion 101, 3:00 pm ET. Register 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.