U.S. Poverty Weekly Update May 9, 2017
U.S. Poverty Campaigns
Weekly Update | May 9, 2017
“All voices are vital. If this bill passes, people will die.”
—RESULTS Coastal Connecticut volunteers Lucinda Winslow and Bill Baker in a May 4 op-ed in the Stamford Advocate
- Got Two Minutes? Get Ready for the U.S. Poverty National Webinar TONIGHT at 8:00pm ET
- Got Ten Minutes? Call Senate Health Aide about Protecting Medicaid (May Action)
- Got Twenty Minutes? Register for the RESULTS Conference – Last Week for Early Bird Rate!
- Quick News
- Upcoming Events
Quick Action: Tell Senators to Protect Medicaid
| Take Action! |
Got Two Minutes? Get Ready for the U.S. Poverty National Webinar TONIGHT at 8:00pm ET
Are your calendars up-to-date? Remember, our monthly RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar has moved to our new night and time starting this evening. This is an important webinar. As you know, the House moved quickly on their American Health Care Act (AHCA), H.R. 1628, which passed last Thursday, 217-213. To help us better understand these developments, we are pleased to have the incomparable Ellen Nissenbaum, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as our guest speaker tonight. She’ll discuss the bill’s Medicaid changes and its impact on low-income Americans. She’ll also talk about what’s next as the bill moves to the Senate and how to stop the Medicaid changes from becoming law. We’ll also talk about the May Action with a role play of a call to a Senate health aide. Finally, we’ll review Group Planning in May, the RESULTS International Conference, and our upcoming Speak Up Friends & Family Fundraising Campaign. Please plan to join us.
TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to remind your local RESULTS group about the RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Grassroots Webinar tonight, May 9 at 8:00 pm ET. Remind members if your group is meeting for the call or if group members (and Free Agents) are calling in on their own. The webinar is done through Fuze meeting. To join online, login at http://fuze.me/32255914 or dial in by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#. Plan to log in or call in no later than 7:55 pm ET.
The slides for the May Webinar are available on our National Webinars page. If your group is listening to the call later, we’ll put a link to the call on this page after the webinar.
Got Ten Minutes? Call Senate Health Aide about Protecting Medicaid (May Action)
Last week, the House passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), its “repeal and replace” bill for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The vote was very close, 217-213; all Democrats and 20 Republicans voted against the bill. This bill does several bad things, including reducing subsidies to help people buy health insurance, letting states opt out of providing affordable coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, and giving the wealthy and big corporations a massive tax cut. Those are bad enough, but the bill’s cuts and changes to Medicaid are the most egregious provisions. The bill would cut $880 billion from Medicaid over ten years, freeze and roll back the Medicaid expansion under the ACA, and impose “per capita caps” on states, thus limiting the amount of money each state would get to cover Medicaid patients (very similar to a block grant). Because of these changes, the Congressional Budget Office estimated in March that 14 million people will lose coverage under Medicaid by 2026 under the AHCA (the CBO is expected to release a new “score” of the version passed last week, which could be worse).
The bill now moves to the Senate, which could act in a matter of weeks… or delay it. No one knows for sure but we must act as if they will move on the bill sooner rather than later. Calling Senate health aides now to voice your opposition to the Medicaid changes in the AHCA will be critical in shaping how the Senate version looks. Listen to tonight’s National Webinar and then coordinate with your group on setting up calls with your Senate health aides as soon as possible.
TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to coordinate calls with health aides for both your senators to talk about Medicaid. The May Action has talking points and background information to help you. Ideally, your whole group would participate in these calls (much like a face-to-face meeting). Identify dates and times when your group could meet together or via conference call to call the Senate aide. Then the point person for each senator should contact the aide directly to set up a time to meet with your group over the phone to talk about protecting Medicaid. You can find aide names under the “Staff” tab on the RESULTS Elected Officials page. If you’d like coaching before you make these calls, please contact Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) for assistance.
While you are waiting for your Senate aide call to take place, reinforce the message by sending an e-mail about protecting Medicaid using our online action alert.
Got Twenty Minutes? Register for the RESULTS Conference – Last Week for Early Bird Rate!
If the events of the last week have shown us anything, it is that we need you in DC this summer advocating for Medicaid and SNAP, and a fair tax system that reduces wealth inequality and the racial wealth gap. Your presence at the RESULTS International Conference (July 22-25 in Washington, DC) will make a huge difference on these issues. Advocates like you coming from all over the world on your own time with your own money to stand behind and for those struggling in poverty sends a powerful message to our elected leaders. Of course, you’ll see great speakers, attend amazing workshops, and have lots of fun. But you heading to Capitol Hill to voice your support for practical solutions to poverty is the most important part of the Conference. We can’t do it without you.
And why not register now when you be a part of something special and save money at the same time. The Conference Early Bird registration rates are only good for another 6 days, until May 15. After that, the rates ($150 for volunteers, $200 for regular attendees) will go up.
TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to register for the 2017 RESULTS International Conference today before the Early Bird registration expires next Monday, May 15. Prices will go up after that. Once you’re done registering yourself, send a note to five people you know and ask them to join you in DC (www.resultsconference.org). Be there to make this Conference the biggest and most powerful yet.
Quick News
Do Group Planning in May. Keep the momentum going from our successful First 100 Days Campaign for the rest of 2017. Meet with your group this month to complete your 2017 Group Plans. To make it easy, we have a new Group Planning Guide and Group Plan Summary form for you and we’ve updated our online form where you can submit your plans: www.tinyurl.com/RESULTS2017Plans. Let’s make 2017 a year to remember. Please complete your 2017 Group Plan Summary and submit it online no later than May 31, 2017. If you have questions, please contact Jos Linn at [email protected].
House on Recess This Week; Both Out Week of Memorial Day. The House is on recess this week and some members will be having town hall meetings. Attend these events to talk about health care and tax reform. Find local town halls at www.townhallproject.com and if you plan to attend one, let Meredith Dodson ([email protected]) know so she can help you get ready. Also, both the House and Senate will be out the week of May 29; request face-to-face meetings to sit down with them that week.
Use Media to Protect Medicaid. Keep pressure on Congress to reject the House health bill by sending a letter to the editor to your local paper about protecting Medicaid (you can also send one on tax reform too).
President Signs FY2017 Spending Bill. On May 5, President Trump signed the omnibus appropriations bill Congress created to fund the government through the end of September, which is the end of the 2017 fiscal year. In this bill, the Child Care and Development Block Grant received a $95 million increase and Head Start received a $85 million increase. His detailed proposal for the FY2018 budget is expected later this month.
Nominate a Grassroots Volunteer to the RESULTS Board. Two seats for the RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund Grassroots Board will open in July. Nominate yourself or someone you think would be a strong voice representing RESULTS volunteers to Jesse Marsden ([email protected]) no later than Sunday, May 28. Read more on the RESULTS Blog.
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 Congressional Recesses: House: May 8-12, May 29-June 2. Senate: May 29-June 2.
New Date and Time! RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, Tuesday, May 9 at 8:00 pm ET. Participate at http://fuze.me/32255914 or (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32255914#. Listen to previous webinars on our National Webinars page.
RESULTS Introductory Call, Wednesday, May 10 at 9:00 pm ET. If you want to learn more about RESULTS, register for an Intro Call on the RESULTS website.
RESULTS U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, Tuesday, May 16 at 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. To participate, login at http://fuze.me/32256018 or dial by phone at (201) 479-4595, Meeting ID: 32256018#.
RESULTS International Conference, Saturday, July 22 – Tuesday, July 25, 2017. Washington Court Hotel, Washington, DC. Register today!
If you have a question, comment or suggestion for the RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund Board, please e-mail them to RESULTS Grassroots Board Member Vanessa Garcia at [email protected]. You can view the most recently published minutes from Board meetings on the RESULTS website, as well as download RESULTS’ most recent Annual Report.