RESULTS Weekly Update October 5, 2021

Quote of the Week

“The strength of our communities is inseparable from the wellbeing and resiliency of our children.”

– RESULTS West Virginia volunteer Dr. Erin Winstanley in a October 2 op-ed in the Dominion Post

Table of Contents

• Reach out to the Senate on global vaccine manufacturing
• As Congress works to reach a deal, urge them to preserve critical investments that reduce poverty
• Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty
• Announcements
• Upcoming Events
• Grassroots Resources

Reach out to the Senate on global vaccine manufacturing

The recovery/reconciliation package currently being debated in Congress (as chronicled on our blog) is understandably dominating the headlines, and in the midst of all the twists and turns, you may be wondering how you can make a difference on the global campaigns issue we’ve been advocating on: global vaccine manufacturing. The truth is, you can still make an impact now. While the size and priorities of the package are being decided upon, Congress needs to hear from you.

In the package currently being debated, the House has proposed $2 billion to expand manufacturing capacity of COVID-19 vaccines. When combined with funding previously provided by Congress, the Biden Administration has significant resources to expand access to vaccines. The Senate must at least match the House proposal and ensure these funds are directed toward expanding manufacturing capacity.

Many low-income countries hoped to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses through COVAX, a global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. However, many rich countries jumped the queue by creating separate deals with vaccine manufacturers and paying a higher price per immunization dose than COVAX. Meanwhile, the under-resourced COVAX had to slash its already moderate goals, reducing its 2021 vaccine supply forecast by 25 percent. (You can read more in our new backgrounder.)

We must speak up now on prioritizing global vaccine manufacturing as the recovery package is taking shape, reaching out to our senators and getting published in the media.

TAKE ACTION: If you are a Senate point person, call and email the aide responsible for health and ask the senator to speak and/or write to Senate leadership (Schumer) and Senate HELP Committee leadership (Murray, Burr), calling on them to include $2 billion to increase vaccine manufacturing in the reconciliation bill.

For everyone else, use this online action alert with the same request. Share this action with others so your senators hear from lots of constituents.

You are also encouraged to submit a letter to the editor on vaccine access using our online media action. Use our current Global Poverty Action Sheet to encourage and enroll others in submitting letters to the editor. Be sure to send your published media to your members of Congress. If you have questions or need support in taking these critical actions, please contact RESULTS staff for assistance.

As Congress works to reach a deal, urge them to preserve critical investments that reduce poverty

Last week, progressives and moderate members of the Democratic caucus could not resolve their disagreements on advancing both the economic recovery package (that carries our main policy priorities) and the bipartisan infrastructure package (that includes funding for roads, bridges, and highways). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) ultimately decided to delay the House vote on both of these bills, with the goal of passing both by October 31.

Negotiations regarding the size and scope of the recovery package are ongoing, with a decision possibly this week. Currently, the size of the package remains at $3.5 trillion, but the final bill is expected to be considerably smaller. This means lawmakers will be looking to cut items from the proposal created by the House, forcing difficult choices as to which policies will go on the chopping block.

This is a critical time in these negotiations. Without a relentless push on lawmakers on why it is important to keep the anti-poverty investments we’ve been fighting for these past few months, they could easily fall away. This legislation is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drastically reduce poverty in the U.S. Keep pushing to make it a reality.

TAKE ACTION: Take action now to ensure that the final recovery bill contains critical investments to reduce poverty in America.

• Contact tax aides this week (or follow up if you’ve already contacted them) urging their bosses to tell recovery package negotiators to make the 2021 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC and Child Tax Credit (CTC) provisions permanent, particularly full-refundability for the CTC for very low- or no-income families
• Contact housing aides this week (or follow up if you’ve already contacted them) urging their bosses to tell recovery package negotiators to include at least $90 billion for rental assistance, with highest possible investments in Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) targeting the lowest-income households. To help, urge House members to sign a Dear Colleague letter that calls for preserving the current funding levels for the housing investments in the House recovery package. The deadline for them to sign on is 12:00 pm ET this Friday, October 8.

Also, please magnify this message by sharing the Dear Colleague letter action with others to keep up the pressure on Capitol Hill and submitting letters to the editor to your local papers to get attention of members of Congress and keep these issues front and center in our communities.

Quick News on U.S. and Global Poverty

Voucher recipients less likely to be vulnerable to eviction. NYU Furman Center published a report in September that highlights how housing choice voucher holders are less likely to face eviction.

Interactive report on universal Housing Choice Vouchers available. The Housing Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania recently published an interactive report that makes the case for why universal vouchers are needed. It highlights the gaps in unmet housing needs and discusses the benefits of universal vouchers to metropolitan cities, rural areas, and to children, seniors, and households of color.

Four quick takeaways from the White House COVID-19 Summit. Perhaps the most important outcome of the Summit is the United States embracing the WHO target of vaccinating at least 70 percent of the population in every country in every income category by this time next year. With only 1 percent of people in the lowest-income countries fully vaccinated today, this is an ambitious goal. Read more on our blog.

New information on COVID-19 and TB by The Lancet. Take a look at this new editorial by The Lancet on the intersections between the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to stem the tides of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Did you miss the October National Webinar? Hear from Rep. Maxine Waters, housing expert Sarah Hassmer, and former CDC Director Tom Frieden on why investments in housing, child poverty, and vaccines is so important right now. Listen to the recording and view the slides on our website.

Announcements

Leadership training on October 12. 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. You can register for our encore session of Discovering Yourself as a Leader Using the GALLUP CliftonStrengths Tool on October 12 at 8:30 pm ET. Register today to receive a code to do your online assessment tool that you will bring to the workshop. Join us to learn how to leverage your natural strengths to excel in leadership roles within your RESULTS group, your community, and beyond. Registration ends the day before the webinar in order to allow time for you to complete your assessment.

Global Allies Program for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. The Global Allies Program: Partners Ending Poverty with RESULTS (or GAP for short) 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. Join us for the next meeting on October 14 at 8:30 pm ET and learn how you can take action on improving global health, education and economic development. Register today. (Registration ends an hour prior to the webinar.)

Have you shared your recent media with Congress? If you have not submitted media to your members of Congress recently, now is the time to do it. You can find copies of all recent global and U.S. poverty media generated by RESULTS volunteers (by state) on our Media Tools page. Find it under the second tab; each packet covers media generated since March 11, 2021, when we started working on economic recovery legislation.

Apply for the RESULTS Fellowship. 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. If you are interested in applying, go to www.results.org/fellowship. The application process closes November 1.

2021 Bob Dickerson Leadership Award open for nominations. Advocate Bob Dickerson was a bold leader who inspired everyone around him, reminding people that we have one life to live and we should live it with meaning. In his memory, we recognize an advocate’s extraordinary leadership and commitment to the mission of RESULTS with the Bob Dickerson Leadership Award. Nominations are now open through November 1. Nominees and recipient will be announced in December. Use our online form to submit a nomination.

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.

Upcoming Events

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

Monday, October 11. Indigenous Peoples’ Day. All RESULTS offices closed.

Tuesday, October 12: Encore Presentation: Discovering Yourself as a Leader workshop, 8:30 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one day prior to the webinar.

Thursday, October 14: Global Allies Program: Partners Ending Poverty with RESULTS, 8:30 pm ET. Register today. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Tuesday, October 19: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. If you are interested in joining, Jos Linn for more information.

Wednesday, October 20: Action Network Webinars, 12:30 pm ET and 8:00 pm ET. Register for the afternoon session or evening session. Registration ends one hour prior to each webinar.

Thursday, October 21: U.S. Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Thursday, October 21: Global Poverty Monthly Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Monday, October 25: Global Poverty Free Agents, 7:00 pm ET. If you are interested in joining, contact Lisa Marchal for more information.

Wednesday, October 27: Motivational Interviewing training (session 2), 9:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Wednesday, November 3: Cultivating New Relationships Through Action, 8:00 pm ET. Register here. Registration ends one hour prior to the webinar.

Saturday, November 6: RESULTS National Webinar, 1:00 pm ET. Register today. 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 Volunteers Hub, 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.