RESULTS Weekly Update September 26, 2023
Quote of the Week
“The United States can show strong leadership by passing the End TB Now Act, H.R. 1776.”
– RESULTS Silicon Valley, CA volunteer John Tupper in a September 20 letter to the editor in the Mercury News
Table of Contents
- Build the Buy-in: Shutdown threat highlights misguided priorities
- Register for October National Webinar to learn about punitive “work” policies
- Announcements
- Upcoming Events
- Grassroots Resources
Build the Buy-in: Shutdown threat highlights misguided priorities
We are in the final week of the federal fiscal year and, what is becoming a tragically frequent occurrence, Congress is heading to another government shutdown. While some lawmakers may consider this a political game, it has real-world consequences. Hundreds of thousands federal workers could be furloughed or forced to work without pay, food assistance through WIC for children and mothers would stop, safety inspections would be disrupted, national parks would close impacting local economies, among many other negative impacts. If this was not bad enough, the reasons we are in this predicament make it worse. A small number of House conservatives are demanding deeper cuts to federal programs, including SNAP, as a condition for passing a temporary stop-gap measure (continuing resolution or CR). Rather than pass a clean CR with bipartisan support, House leadership is trying to move legislation with the cuts, knowing full well it is DOA in the Senate. As a result, the likelihood of a shutdown is growing.
All this highlights the need to continue to advocate for our U.S. and global poverty priorities. Some could be impacted immediately, such as food assistance and global poverty programs. Others are impacted through distraction – the more time Congress wastes on political posturing, the less time they are working on issues that matter to the American people.
We must stay active and engaged. It would be easier to disengage out of anger and frustration, but that changes nothing. When we make our voices heard, lawmakers must eventually pay attention. If we want the political games to end, we the people must demand they stop playing.
TAKE ACTION: Continue to generate media as part of our Build the Buy-in campaign. As of this morning, we have 37 media pieces published. That’s excellent! But to reach our goal of 250 pieces by the end of the year, we need to pick up the pace. The more media you generate, the close we get to our policy goals. This week, use the government shutdown as a hook to generate letters to the editor on the topics below.
Child Tax Credit. The shutdown fight only highlights the misguided priorities coming out of the House right now. We learned this month that child poverty more than doubled last year. That data is still a strong hook for media this week. Instead of proposing budget cuts and forcing a government shutdown that would only make poverty worse, Congress should be focusing on reducing child poverty by expanding the CTC immediately. We have updated online tax credit media action with new language urging Congress to take action on the CTC.
United Nations High-Level Meeting and the End TB Now Act. Through your hard work, you created positive pressure in advance of the September 22 United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM). Read this compelling dispatch direct from the UNHLM by RESULTS Executive Director Joanne Carter, as well as our press release. Use this material as hooks for your next letter to the editor to keep the momentum going. Ask for more co-sponsorships for the End Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act. The End TB Now Act has successfully moved through committee in both chambers of Congress. But we need more co-sponsorships and action from leadership to get it over the finish line. Use our online TB media alert to urge Congress to end tuberculosis now. Then celebrate what’s been accomplished! Your work has been incredible!
UNESCO report and the READ Act. According to a new UNESCO report, 250 million children were out of school in 2022. This is a 6 million increase, and it’s distressing. It reminds us that the READ Act reauthorization (H.R.681, S.41) is more important than ever. Additionally, the Global Partnership for Education has released a blog post on the relationship between gender equality and education. This material could provide helpful hooks for your next letter to the editor on the READ Act. Use our global education media action to make your case and submit today!
Once you get published, please let us know. You can track progress on our media goals in our new media tracker. If you have questions or want help with your letters this week, please contact RESULTS staff for assistance.
Register for October National Webinar to learn about punitive “work” policies
The October National Webinar is going to be powerful. We’ll use this special webinar to take a deeper look at how “work requirements” in U.S. poverty programs have been weaponized as tools of oppression. Hear from a panel of experts on the impact of work requirements and then attend a grassroots-led advocacy training on how to talk about it. You’ll gain a foundational understanding of how pervasive work and income requirements are harmful and learn effective ways to push back at these harmful policies. The webinar is Saturday, October 14 from 12:00 to 3:00 pm ET. Register today!
Note: If you registered for a previous RESULTS National Webinar in 2023, you are already registered for the October webinar.
Announcements
Will you make a gift to RESULTS by September 30? The donations we receive from you are precious. Small or large, they add up and allow us to do our shared work. Donations we receive support training, education, and resources for your advocacy, bolster efforts to expand RESULTS’ impact into new areas, fund our work to elevate advocates with lived experience of poverty, leverage and complement other philanthropic funding, and provide flexibility for us to pioneer new approaches and innovate. Support this important work by donating today before the end of RESULTS’ fiscal on September 30. Thank you!
Join Diversity & Inclusion 101 session this month. On September 29 at 12:00 pm ET, Dr. Christina Gunther, Ed.D. will lead a conversation on why inclusion is important, describe how biases are developed and what influences them, identify the value of disrupting those biases, and more. We urge all Group Leaders – current and future – to prioritize taking this training. Register here for this 90-minute learning opportunity. Then read our new blog post, “The evolution of anti-oppression: Living into our values.”
New to RESULTS? Join our orientation webinar tomorrow. If you or someone you know would benefit from a RESULTS 101 overview (e.g., a new volunteer you personally recruited), sign up for a RESULTS New Advocate Orientation. This 60-minute presentation is a great intro to our work, giving people the foundation to start their advocacy with RESULTS. The next orientation is tomorrow, September 27 at 8:30 pm ET. Sign up today!
Virtual Group Leader training open for registration. Are you a current (or even aspiring) RESULTS Group Leader? You are welcome to this four-part learning series to be held on four successive weeks starting October 18. These interactive sessions will get you in touch with fellow Group Leaders, give you practical tools for leading a RESULTS group, and provide some fun along the way. Each session will last two hours. Register today! Questions? Contact Lisa Marchal.
Apply for the RESULTS Fellowship. If you know someone aged 20-35 who wants to harness their political power, sharpen skills, and take action on important issues, invite them to apply for the RESULTS Fellowship. RESULTS Fellows advocate at the intersections of poverty and anti-oppression and learn how to work with the media, their communities, and policymakers to create change. The application is open through October 31. For more information, e-mail us at [email protected].
Upcoming Events
Congressional schedule: The House and Senate are in session this week.
Typically, registration ends one hour prior to the start of all webinars and trainings.
Wednesday, September 27: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more and register today.
Friday, September 29: Diversity and Inclusion 101, 12:00 pm ET. Read more and register about this important 90-minute webinar.
Wednesday, October 4: New Advocate Orientation, 12:00 pm ET. Register today.
Wednesday, October 11: Global Allies (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) Monthly Webinar, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more and register.
Thursday, October 12: Event Planning and Outreach Office Hour, 2:00 pm ET. Join via https://results.zoom.us/j/98524229370 or call (312) 626-6799, Meeting ID: 985 2422 9370.
Friday, October 13: Anti-oppression 201 – Structural Racism, 12:00-1:30 pm ET. Learn more about the recommended prerequisite for this webinar and register.
Saturday, October 14: Special National Webinar, 12:00-3:00 pm ET. Register today.
Tuesday, October 17: U.S. Poverty Free Agents, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Contact Jos Linn for more information.
Tuesday, October 17: Together Women Rise/RESULTS Advocacy Chapter, 8:30 pm ET. Learn more.
Tuesday, October 17: New Advocate Orientation, 8:30 pm ET. Register today.
Wednesday, October 18: Action Network Managers webinar, 12:30 pm and 8:00 pm ET. (Choose your time.) Join the 12:30 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/93288388695. Join the 8:00 pm ET session at https://results.zoom.us/j/91531456676. No registration required.
Wednesday, October 18: 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. No registration required.
Wednesday, October 18: Group Leader Training Series, 8:00 pm ET. Register today for this special 4-week series. Each session is two hours.
Thursday, October 19: U.S. Poverty Policy Forum, 8:00 pm ET. Register today.
Thursday, October 19: Global Poverty Policy Forum, 9:00 pm ET. Register today.
Friday, October 20: Anti-oppression Learning Community Meeting, 12:00 pm ET. Register today for this 90-minute conversation.
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 story about advocacy you feel could inspire others, use our new online form to tell us your story. Also, if you want to celebrate the actions of a new volunteer, sharing about the experience today.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.
RESULTS Staff directory and job postings.