U.S. Poverty Weekly Update October 8, 2019


October 8, 2019

Quote of the Week

“It’s time for a tax bill that helps working Americans make ends meet before it dumps more cash in corporate bank accounts.”

– RESULTS Boston volunteer Alison Hall in an October 4 letter to the editor in the Bangor Daily News

Got Two Minutes? Get Meetings with Members of Congress (October Action)

Congress is on recess for another week, returning to Washington next Tuesday. When they get back, negotiations will accelerate on what kind of tax bill, if any, they will do this fall. That means this is the week to your members of Congress, especially senators, to tell them that any tax bill this fall must include expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit for workers and families. Make this a priority in your advocacy this week.

TAKE ACTION: Take two minutes to schedule lobby meetings this last week of the October recess. Contact House and Senate schedulers to set up a meeting as soon as possible. Also ask about town halls and public events they may be having during the recess (also check www.townhallproject.com).  The October Action includes resources to help you send a strong message about expanding the EITC and CTC in any new tax bill. In addition, we have lobbying materials and an updated congressional scorecard. When you get a meeting in your calendar, please contact Meredith Dodson ASAP to set up a call to prepare you.

Got Ten Minutes? Talk to Tax Aides about the EITC and CTC (October Action)

What can you do to protect workers and families this week? As outlined in the October Action, you want to use the many tools you have to send a strong message that if Congress does any tax bill, it must put workers and families first. Talking to members of Congress directly (above) and generating media (below) are two effective ways to do that. Another is talking to congressional aides. Next to meeting with members of Congress directly, talking with aides carries the biggest impact. RESULTS staff in DC meet with congressional aides regularly, and they regularly highlight the work of you – our volunteers – in their districts. But hearing from you makes the biggest impact.

TAKE ACTION: Take ten minutes to contact congressional tax aides about including expansion of the EITC and CTC in any new tax bill. Only one person from your local RESULTS group need contact an aide (multiple calls to the same aide can be counterproductive). Look up aide names here. Here are some subjects you can use as a “hook” to contact them:

  • New media you’ve gotten published on the EITC/CTC; remember to reiterate your request
  • New poverty data (courtesy of CHN) from the American Community Survey highlighting data from their state or district (find more ACS data here)
  • New paper from CBPP on relation of income to rent affordability

If you need help with how to best reach out to your tax aides, please contact Jos Linn.

Got Twenty Minutes? Leverage Your Media for Maximum Impact (October Action)

If we want Congress to put workers and families first in a new tax bill, it’s going to take energy and strategy. Many of you are using your energy to get media published telling Congress to include expansions of the EITC and CTC in any new tax bill. Excellent! But you also want to be strategic by leveraging that media for maximum impact. For example, once your media piece is published, are you sending it to the appropriate congressional aide(s) along with your policy request? Are you sharing your piece with your group members, action networks, and social media contacts and urging them to write letters to the editor in response (and then sending their published pieces to aides)? Are you gathering copies of all your published media to deliver in lobby meetings? Use your media to its fullest (see an example from social media here).

TAKE ACTION: Take twenty minutes to use your published media to influence political decisions on poverty. Submit a letter to the editor today urging your members of Congress by name to expand the EITC and CTC in any new tax legislation. Once published, use our new guide (Word or PDF) to leverage it for maximum impact. If you have already been published, it’s not too late to leverage it too.

Quick News

Trump Administration Proposes New SNAP Cuts. The USDA has published another proposed rule that would cut SNAP benefits (former food stamps), this time a total of $4.5 billion over five years.  The cut would result from changes in how states take households’ utility costs into account in determining the amount of SNAP benefits for which they qualify. The comment period is now open until December 2. Go here to learn more and submit your comment opposing this new attack on SNAP.

Last 10 Days to Oppose New Housing Rule. Submit your comment opposing the Trump Administration rule to make it easier for landlords, financial institutions and others to discriminate based on race, sex, national origin, disability, and other protected classes. Comments are due October 18.

New Volunteer Advocacy Training Begins Next Week. Beginning this month, our terrific Expansion team is offering a new, six-week training to help advocates learn advocacy skills, dive into current campaigns, and become familiar with support tools RESULTS has available to assist them in their advocacy. This series is ideal for new people in your groups and potential volunteers you are cultivating. Veteran volunteers are welcomed too. The series begins Thursday, October 17. Learn more and sign up on our website.

Save the Date for the RESULTS Conference. June 20-23, 2020 are the dates for the 2020 RESULTS International Conference in Washington, DC. Join us to celebrate RESULTS’ 40th Anniversary, along with Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and other exciting guests. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details.

Upcoming Events

Congressional Recess. The House and Senate are currently on recess through October 14. Submit your meeting requests today.

Monday, October 14: Indigenous People’s Day. All RESULTS offices closed.

Tuesday, October 15: U.S. Poverty Free Agents Calls, 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm ET. Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/324294681 or dial by phone at (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 324 294 681.

Thursdays, October 17-November 21: New Volunteer Advocacy Training, 12:00 pm and 8:30 pm ET. Learn more and register for sessions here.

Tuesday, November 5: RESULTS U.S. Poverty National Webinar, 8:00 pm ET.  Join at: https://results.zoom.us/j/873308801 or dial (929) 436-2866 or (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 873 308 801. Find recordings and slides from previous webinars on the National Webinars page.

Wednesday, November 6: RESULTS Action Network Community of Practice webinar, 8:30pm ET. To join, log in: https://results.zoom.us/j/427674133 or dial in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 427 674 133. You can also join our Facebook and e-mail groups.

June 20-23, 2020: RESULTS International Conference. Capital Hilton, Washington, DC. More details coming soon.

Find other events on the RESULTS Events Calendar.

Other Resources

Learn more about the RESULTS Experts on Poverty.

Do you have a new person in your RESULTS group or info to update? Use our Volunteer Information Form to add them.

Find recently recorded advocacy trainings on the RESULTS Training Webinars page.

Report your Grassroots Successes:

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for the RESULTS/REF Board, please e-mail Steven McGee at [email protected]. View Board minutes and Annual Reports.

RESULTS Staff directory.

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