Domestic Weekly Update February 2, 2010
New and Urgent in This Week’s Update
Latest from Washington, DC, and Beyond
Organizational Reminders and Updates
Tell Congress that Health Reform and Tax Credits Help the Economy (February Action)It seems that the people in Washington are doing their best to change the subject away from health care. No longer is health reform the topic of the month, but jobs and financial reform. President Obama spent most of his State of the Union address last week talking about ways to create jobs and Congress is debating a financial reform as we speak. However, things may not be as they seem. As The New Republic’s Jonathan Cohn reported yesterday, lawmakers are still working to get health care done and progress is being made. Outside the limelight, it seems House and Senate leadership still have their eye on the proverbial ball. The thinking is that if health reform is no longer front and center as it has been, lawmakers can have space to craft a deal that can pass. There are still issues to work out and a procedural path forward is not yet set, but it appears that the reports of health reform’s death were greatly exaggerated. However, we cannot take anything for granted. Without pressure from the grassroots, be it subtle or blunt, the will to complete reform would wither away. Fortunately, the Washington switch to the topic of jobs presents us with a great opportunity. RESULTS supports efforts at creating jobs, especially for low-income people in the U.S., and one effective way to create jobs is by investing in anti-poverty programs. Investing in programs that help people meet basic needs, like food, shelter or health care, cause positive changes in the local and national economy. For example, a recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows the significant positive effect that Medicaid spending has on the economy of the states, from creating jobs to increasing income. As you know, both health reform bills in Congress make significant investments in Medicaid above current levels, thus amplifying this effect. In fact, the Center for American Progress estimates that if health reform passes, between 250,000 and 400,000 new jobs per year will be created over the next ten years. The same goes true for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which incentivizes work by providing substantial tax refunds for workers in low-income jobs. A Michigan study estimates that for every $1 of EITC money spent in the local economy, $1.67 in new earnings is generated. The economic benefits of health reform and other anti-poverty investments are real but rarely discussed. Members of Congress must understand that these investments not only help those most in need, they also help build and maintain a strong economy for all of us. TAKE ACTION: Take the February Action (please note that the February Action sheet will be available online no later than tomorrow morning). Write a letter to your representatives and senators urging them to pass health reform and expansions to low-income tax credits in 2010. Remind them that these investments will help millions of individuals and families struggling in poverty, help create jobs, and revive our economy. Find links to learn more about the Earned Income Tax Credit and other low-income tax credits at the RESULTS Economic Opportunity page, including a brief PowerPoint presentation on these issues. Also, if you have not contacted or followed up with your members of Congress per the January Action, please be sure to contact their offices as soon as possible. See our January 26 Weekly Update for more information. A Note on RESULTS 2010 Domestic Poverty CampaignsAs many of you know, we have been talking about transitioning our domestic work in 2010 from health care to tax reform that focuses on helping low-income communities. This was based on the assumption that health care would be competed in late 2009 or early 2010. We now know that is unlikely to happen. While quick action is still possible, it is more likely that health reform will take weeks or months to complete. Because of RESULTS’ commitment to health reform, we have decided to add Health Care for All as a second major campaign for 2010 alongside our Economic Opportunity campaign. This will allow us to stay focused on the important task of finishing health reform while simultaneously building support for our tax credit work this year. Our actions each month will focus on the most pertinent issue and most strategic action for that time, be it health reform, tax reform, or both. Legislative advocacy is rarely predictable but it is also rarely dull. We thank you for your patience and flexibility as we move forward, and your unwavering commitment to improving the lives of millions of low-income men, woman, and children in America. Set Up Face-to-Face Meetings During Presidents’ Day RecessCongress will be on recess February 15–21 for the Presidents’ Day holiday. This is a great time to set up face-to-face meeting with representatives and senators while they are back home in your states. With health reform unfinished and economic recovery on everyone’s mind, this is an opportune time to let your voice be heard on key issues related to poverty. TAKE ACTION: Contact the schedulers for your representatives and senators to set up a face-to-face meeting while they are back home. See our Activist Milestone: Meet Face-to-Face with Your Member of Congress for tips on scheduling and planning your meeting. Also, see our U.S. Poverty Actions and News page to find the February Action sheet and updated laser talks for talking points, as well as a laser talk on setting up a meeting with your member of Congress. You can also use our online alert to help set up your meetings. Be sure to customize your request to the subjects you plan to cover. Once you get a meeting scheduled, please contact Meredith Dodson (dodson@results.org) or Jos Linn (jlinn@results.org) for questions and coaching. President Unveils Fiscal Year 2011 BudgetYesterday, President Obama sent his FY 2011 budget request to Congress. As you know, the president is required to submit his/her annual budget no later than the first Monday in February. This starts the annual budget process. Congress will review the president’s proposal and will hold hearings with Executive Branch personnel beginning this week. Congress will then begin to work on its own budget in the hopes of passing a budget resolution later this spring. Although President Obama’s budget freezes many domestic discretionary spending programs except Homeland Security, programs to aid those in poverty will see some spending increases. Here are some of the highlights in the president’s budget related to issues of poverty:
You can learn more and the White House’s FY2011 Budget site. For those of you wanting to delve deeper into what the president’s budget will do for people living in poverty, many of our allied organizations are producing conference calls and webinars on specific poverty-related aspects of the budget. Here is what they will cover:
The White House is also doing briefing calls. RESULTS staff will join calls that are related to our issues, while continuing to participate in regular calls with Faithful Reform and Health Care and the Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN. RESULTS recognizes that the budget and budget process can seem very daunting. In the coming weeks and months, we will do our best to discern the most relevant parts of the budget related to our work and keep you updated on actions you can take to impact the priorities that matter most. The budget process is one of the most important responsibilities of our government. Vice President Biden has a quote from his father that highlights importance of this process: “Don’t show me your values, show me your budget.” In other words, if you want to know what people truly care about, look at where they spend their money. So where are we as a nation spending ours? If we want a society that respects and promotes the inherent value and dignity of every human being, we have to work to ensure that our federal budget allocates the necessary resources to the areas that promote those values. The budget is where the rubber hits the road and it is our job as citizens to make sure our leaders have the right map. Quick NewsUrge President Obama to Meet with Single-Payer Advocates. The Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Health Care (LCGHC), a coalition of health care providers and single-payer health care advocates, are asking to meet with President Obama to discuss enacting a national health program. So far their request has not been granted. Dr. Margaret Flowers (who spoke at the 2009 RESULTS international conference) and Dr. Carol Paris tried to deliver a letter to the president at a hotel in Baltimore last week. The note simply said “Just Letting You Know: Medicare for All.” They were turned away and later arrested when they refused to leave the hotel (they were charged with trespass and later released). RESULTS’ long-term vision is of a national plan of expanded and improved Medicare for All. Single-payer was ignored during the health reform debate but remains relevant and important to our long-term future. Use our alert to send an e-mail to the White House, asking the president to meet with LCGHC representatives. Click on these bill numbers to ask members of Congress to cosponsor H.R.676 and S.703, which RESULTS has endorsed. Rep. Ryan Releases Counter Budget Proposal. President Obama is not the only person who released a budget this week. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI-1), the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, has released his own budget proposal. Aimed at dramatically reducing the federal deficit, his ideas have turned a few heads. According to Ezra Klein of the Washington Post, “Ryan’s budget proposes reforms that are nothing short of violent. Medicare is privatized. Seniors get a voucher to buy private insurance, and the voucher’s growth is far slower than the expected growth of health-care costs. Medicaid is also privatized. The employer tax exclusion is fully eliminated, replaced by a tax credit that grows more slowly than medical costs. And beyond health care, Social Security gets guaranteed, private accounts that CBO says will actually cost more than the present arrangement.” AnnouncementsGroup Planning Coming Up. Please remember schedule a specific time this month for your group to do annual group planning. You can do it in conjunction with the February 13 monthly conference, during your second monthly meeting, or at another time during the month. Also, please go to the RESULTS Group Resources page to find the RESULTS 2010 Group Planning Materials, print off the Individual Planning Form, and complete it before your February group planning meeting. Finally, review the Economic Opportunity PowerPoint Presentation to help you understand the background for our primary 2010 campaign. You can also read more about this campaign on our Economic Opportunity pages. Donations Always Welcome. RESULTS and RESULTS Education Fund always welcome your financial contributions. Your support helps us do the work we do. Use our easy, breezy online donation form to make your contribution. Upcoming Events(Click to see a complete calendar) February 3: The President’s Budget Proposal: Opportunities and Challenges for Early Childhood Programs Conference Call, 3:00 pm ET, presented by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and Center on Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Register at the CLASP website. February 5: The President’s Budget Explained Webinar, 3:00 pm ET, presented by the Coalition on Human Needs (CHN). Register at CHN’s website. February 9: President’s Budget Conference Call and Webinar, 2:00 pm ET, presented by Voices for America’s Children. RSVP to novesky@voices.org or register at the Voices website. If your system does not support the webinar software, you can join via conference call only: (866) 519-2800, code 999634. February 13: RESULTS Domestic National Conference Call, 12:30 pm ET. Guest Speaker: Monica Mills, Director of Government Relations, Bread for the World. February 18: Grassroots Website Tour, 9:00 pm ET. Still trying to figure out the new RESULTS website? Have no fear. Join Domestic Outreach Organizer Jos Linn for a tour of the key sections of the new site. Call (712) 432-3100, passcode 761262 and be sure to be in front of your computer. June 20–22, 2010: RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund International Conference, Washington Marriott Hotel, Washington, DC. RESULTS Contact InformationMain Office: (p) (202) 783-7100, (f) (202) 783-2818, 750 First Street NE, Suite 1040, Washington DC 20002. Domestic Legislative and Grassroots Support Staff: Meredith Dodson, x116 (dodson@results.org); Alan Gold, x106 (gold@results.org); Jos Linn, (515) 288-3622 (jlinn@results.org). The RESULTS Domestic Update is sent out every Tuesday over e-mail to RESULTS volunteers and allies all over the country. The purpose of these updates is to inform and activate RESULTS activists to take action on our domestic campaigns. |