RESULTS Weekly Update September 3, 2025

Quote of the Week

“Health care is a basic human right, and we must restore and strengthen support for the systems that protect us all.” 

– RESULTS Austin (TX) advocate Yumi Kang, in her August letter to the editor in the Austin American-Statesman 

(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”) 

Join the National Webinar this Saturday with State Sen. Kim Jackson

As we head into the fall, please join us for RESULTS National Webinar this Saturday, September 6 at 1:00 p.m. ET. This month, we are taking a closer look at the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on the states. To help us, we are pleased to welcome State Senator Kim Jackson (D-GA) as our guest speaker. She will share what her state legislature is doing in response to the reconciliation bill. She will also share tips on how we can better educate lawmakers and the public on the negative impacts of the bill. Also, with Congress back to work, our policy staff will get you up-to-speed on where things are in budget negotiations. Come get clear actions you can take to protect vital anti-poverty investments. Please join us for this important webinar. Register today! 

Congress is back and they need to hear from you

After five weeks on recess, members of Congress have returned to Washington, D.C. with a full plate of tasks to accomplish. First and foremost, they need to pass a budget. If they don’t pass one by the end of this month (or a continuing resolution, also known as a CR, to extend the deadline), the country will face yet another government shutdown. As of today, it looks like they will try to pass a short-term CR to give themselves more time to negotiate.  

But resolution on the budget either now or later is more complicated this year. Primarily because of the Trump Administration’s refusal to spend money as Congress intended. Whether through an impoundment or rescission, the administration is taking an extremely expansive view of their power. When these actions are illegal, the courts have pushed back. But the legal system moves slowly and the budget cannot wait. As a result, Democrats are rightfully concerned that Republican leaders continue to ignore or rubber stamp the administration’s actions with regard to spending. If a bipartisan budget gets negotiated but is later undone by a partisan impoundment or rescission, it renders the negotiation process pointless. Democrats want safeguards in place that ensures any negotiated FY26 budget will be followed and enforced. 

We can let the politicians worry about the politics of this process and how it gets resolved. As advocates, our job is clear — we push them to do the right thing. And the right thing is for Congress to complete a FY26 that funds our U.S. and global poverty priorities.  

Tell your representatives and senators that you are tired of the dysfunction and you want Congress to do its job. Fund programs that reduce poverty and promote prosperity for all. Call and email offices telling them to:   

• Support our global appropriations priorities, especially urging Senate offices to match the House’s global appropriations proposals. Also ask them to do champion actions in support of the Global Fund. 

• Protect critical U.S. poverty programs such as Housing Choice Vouchers and WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children). Congress must fund them at levels that meet current need. 

• Oppose any new rescission requests. 

• Establish guardrails to limit the Administration’s ability to impound and rescind federal funds. 

No cuts. No rescissions. No impoundments. No year-long CRs. Do your job, Congress. For help with messaging, please see our Action and Allies page and our Action Center of resources and templates. And please reach out to RESULTS staff if you need help. 

Use media to speak out against budget cuts and the attacks on democracy

In addition to contacting Congress directly, use local media to speak out against the attacks on both our anti-poverty priorities and democracy itself. The passage of OBBBA will have disastrous effects for people around the country (see impacts on your state here and here). Millions will lose health care and food assistance, while tax breaks for the rich balloon our national debt. In addition, the withholding and rescinding of foreign aid funds are literally costing lives. Finally, the Trump Administration’s ignoring of the law, putting troops in major cities, and attacking voting rights have people worried about our democracy.  

But we don’t have to just sit and take it. We have the power to speak up. We have the power to change things. Use the media to make your voice heard. Submit a letter to the editor today telling lawmakers and your communities that you reject the policies of inequality, hatred, and division. Speak up for the values that make our country great — compassion, justice, and equality. Use our online media templates if you need help getting started.  

TL;DR (too long; didn’t read): Register for the September 6 National Webinar; refer to our Action and Allies page for lobbying resources now that Congress is back in session; and use our media templates to raise your voice in local newspapers.   

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