U.S. Poverty Weekly Update July 3, 2018

U.S. Poverty Campaigns

Weekly Update | July 3, 2018

“At a time when the deficit is ballooning because of tax cuts to the top tax bracket, taking food from children in the name of fiscal responsibility is immoral.”

– RESULTS Connecticut volunteer Bill Baker in a July 3 op-ed in the Connecticut Post

RESULTS wishes all of you a happy Independence Day – may it be festive, safe, and fun!

Got Two Minutes? Tell Congress to Pass a Final Farm Bill that Protects SNAP (June Action)

Last Thursday, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan farm bill that protects SNAP (formerly food stamps), 86-11.This is great news, thanks in no small part to your hard work, both this year and in years past. You’ve been calling and writing to your members of Congress, making it clear again and again that cuts to SNAP are unacceptable. And the Senate listened. Thank you!

But it’s not over yet. Now the Senate and House must agree on the final legislation if they want a new farm bill this year. You may recall that the House passed a farm bill that includes draconian requirements that would result in people not being able to feed their families, even as new data shows that childhood food insecurity is not improving in the U.S. We must make sure the final farm bill protects SNAP like in the Senate version.

TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to tell your members of Congress to protect SNAP in the final farm bill. Here’s how:

1. Send an e-mail your members of Congress today to remind them to follow the Senate’s lead in protecting SNAP.
2. Go to www.townhallproject.com and look for any town halls or events you can attend during this week’s congressional recess. Look for Independence Day parades (politicians like to attend them). If you find an event, ask your representative or senator to only support a final farm bill that protects SNAP. Use our updated Laser Talk in the June Action as a guide.

Got Ten Minutes? It’s Summer Lobby Time – Be Ready for It (June Action)

With the House and Senate beginning negotiations for a final farm bill that will determine the future of SNAP, and with an important and contentious election fast approaching, this is the summer to be talking to lawmakers. You want to be meeting with them and their staff over the next few weeks and months so that your agenda gets priority, especially before election season takes over and it gets harder and harder to sit down with them.

Fortunately, you’re connected to RESULTS and getting you ready for lobby meetings is our specialty. There are three chances for you to get face-time with your members of Congress over the next two months: the July 4 recess (happening now), the RESULTS International Conference (July 14-17), and the August recess. Only a small percentage of Americans actually try to meet with their members of Congress, which magnifies the voices of those who do. Make the most of this summer’s “lobby windows” to make your voice heard.

TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to make the most of this summer’s lobbying opportunities by doing the following:

1. Set up a Lobby Prep Call. A lobby meeting is only as good as your preparation for it. Meredith Dodson of our DC staff is as good as it gets when getting people ready for lobby meetings. If are coming to the RESULTS International Conference and have yet to do a call with her, fill out this form to get on her schedule ASAP. There are only a few slots left. If you are doing meetings in your home district or state, contact Meredith directly about setting up a prep call with her (likely after the RESULTS Conference).
2. Schedule Your Lobby Meetings. Contact your House and Senate schedulers to set up a meeting. For this week’s recess, ask about events you can attend (and look on www.townhallproject.com). For meetings at the Conference or during the August recess, schedule your meetings now before their calendars fill up. Find House and Senate contact information on our Elected Officials page and use our sample Conference Meeting Request form (edit it for meetings back home). When you get a meeting scheduled, please fill in the information about it here.
3. Collect Letters to Hand-Deliver. As we continue our #LettersGetLOUD campaign, generate and collect letters you can hand-deliver in DC or home state lobby meetings. These letters send a strong message to lawmakers that their communities support policies that lift and keep people out of poverty. Use our updated one-page action sheet to generate letters now.

Got Twenty Minutes? Get Media Published to Protect SNAP (June Action)

With members of Congress home this week on recess, local media can keep the pressure on them to stand up for SNAP to farm bill negotiators. Remember, the House and Senate are coming from drastically different positions on SNAP. The House wants to make drastic changes to SNAP that would cuts food assistance for two million people. The Senate preserves SNAP’s core structure and makes smart investments in helping people find work. We want the final bill to look like the Senate.

You are close to getting a farm bill passed that protects SNAP in a Congress that is frequently hostile to that position. But it won’t happen if you don’t demand it.

TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to draft and submit a letter to the editor urging your representatives and senators to protect SNAP in the final farm bill. Tell them that their constituents want everyone to have enough food to eat. Read our new RESULTS Blog post to help you with media submissions this week. It has a sample letter to the editor to get you started or you can use our online media alert to send your letter to the editor today. Also, if you are traveling to the RESULTS International Conference next week, use your trip as a media hook to get a letter to the editor published. Our Communications Team has created a great resource with sample letters to help you.

When you get published, please send a link to it to Jos Linn.

Quick News

Remember – No National Webinars in July. Tonight would be the normal time for the U.S. Poverty National Webinar. However, because of tomorrow’s holiday and the RESULTS International Conference starting next week, we have canceled the U.S. Poverty and Global National Webinars for July. Our next National Webinar will be a joint U.S.-Global webinar on Saturday, August 11 at 2:00 pm ET. The U.S. Poverty National Webinar will return to our normal time on September 4.

Donate to Conference Scholarship Fund. The RESULTS International Conference is an incredibly valuable opportunity for a RESULTS volunteer, and we don’t want any of our advocates to miss out on this experience because of cost. That’s why we created the International Conference Scholarship Fund, which helps cover the costs of registration, transportation, or lodging for those who wouldn’t be able to attend without it. We strive to extend the opportunity for growth and inspiration to every RESULTS volunteer. Your tax-deductible gift will help make that possible. Donate now to help support a RESULTS advocate who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend!

Download the Conference App. Want to connect with other RESULTS International Conference attendees before you arrive? Preview the agenda and speaker info on your phone? Get updates? Check out the new 2018 conference app we have available for you this year (last year’s app is no longer in use). To download the 2018 app, click here, or follow these simple instructions: 1) Search for an app in the App Store or in Google Play called: “Attendify – Network at Events” and download it; 2) Open the app and search for “RESULTS Conference”; and 3) sign up with your email address. The app will enable to you share comments and photos, create your own conference session tracks, and access all the info you’ll need with a few swipes on your phone. For any questions about the app or the conference, write us at [email protected].  

Read the Conference Packet. To help you be as informed as you can before lobby meetings in DC or back home, read our 2018 U.S. Poverty Legislative Background packet. It is broken into two parts: the SNAP section is already available on our Conference Resources page and the Housing/Tax/Racial Equity section will be available this week. Please read these before you come to DC and if you want to have a copy with you at the Conference, please bring your own copy with you. Also, visit the Conference Resources page for additional information and resources to help you get ready for the Conference, including our IC Checklist, sample lobby meeting requests, and media outreach about the Conference.

Upcoming Events

Go to the RESULTS Events Calendar to see a full list of RESULTS events. Also, find a list of the RESULTS U.S. Poverty staff with contact information on the RESULTS website.

Upcoming U.S. Poverty staff time off: Meredith Dodson, July 4-6. Jos Linn, afternoon of July 6 and July 21-29.

Happy Independence Day! Wednesday, July 4. All RESULTS offices closed.

U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, July 10 at 1:00pm and 8:00pm ET. Login at http://fuze.me/32256018 or dial in by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32256018#.

2018 RESULTS International Conference, July 14-17, Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. There is still time to register for our biggest event of the year! 

RESULTS Join U.S. and Global Poverty National Webinar, Saturday, August 11 at 2:00 pm ET. Participation info TBA.

Other Resources

Get Your RESULTS Promo Materials. If you need banners, pens, stickers, or business cards for your local RESULTS work, fill out our Materials Order Form and we’ll send them to you.

Got a Question for the RESULTS Board? If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View published Board minutes on the RESULTS website, as well as our Annual Reports.

Please Fill Out the Lobby Report Form. After any lobby meeting, please fill out the RESULTS Lobby Report Form to let us know how it went. When you have a meeting where both U.S. and global poverty issues are discussed, please fill it out twice.