Domestic Weekly Update January 26, 2010
New and Urgent in This Week’s Update
Latest from Washington, DC, and Beyond
Organizational Reminders and Updates
Health Care Reform Delayed, Not Abandoned (January Action)The election of Republican Scott Brown (R-MA) to the Senate is forcing congressional leaders to reexamine how to proceed with health care reform. Although how they will move forward is unclear, RESULTS remains committed to health care for all that provides health care coverage and access to low-income children and families. Several options are being discussed to pass reform in light of the Massachusetts election. One is for the House to simply pass the Senate health bill as is with no changes. On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-8) rejected that idea, saying she did not have the votes. A possible way through would be for the House to pass the Senate bill and then for both chambers to advance a bill through budget reconciliation that amends the Senate bill. The reconciliation process allows a bill to pass with only 51 votes in the Senate, thus bypassing the filibuster that reform opponents have used so effectively so far in the process. As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities notes, using reconciliation to pass health reform is consistent with past practices. There are signs of growing support for this option, but without a firm commitment from the Senate to amend their bill, the House is unlikely to go along with such a procedure. RESULTS urges both chambers of Congress to take responsibility for passing reform: the Senate should move forward on a reconciliation bill that addresses the House’s legitimate concerns and improves the Senate bill, and the House should then pass the Senate bill. Leadership from the House and Senate are meeting with party members today to gauge next steps. Despite this procedural obstacle course, RESULTS’ message remains the same — get reform done right and get reform done now! Pass a strong health reform bill that helps those most in need by expanding Medicaid and community health centers (CHCs). Again, we support Medicaid changes that:
We have said it many times before but NOW is the time to act! Health reform hangs in the balance and the opposition is not backing down at all. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) said yesterday that if the Democrats try to use the reconciliation process to pass health reform, opponents “would make it an extraordinarily difficult exercise.” This is a gut check moment for health care advocates in Congress. If there is a time for champions to stand up for health care for all, that time is now. And it’s up to us — We the People — to help them to their feet. TAKE ACTION: Call your Senators and Representatives TODAY! Families USA has made a toll-free number available for calls to Congress: (800) 828-0498. Urge your members of Congress to weigh in with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-8) on the points listed above (see our House and Senate bills summary chart for more details). When calling, you can say:
Use the January Action sheet for additional talking points, as well as our online call-in alert. If you talk to a staffer, urge them to call you back after they’ve talked with their boss. If you don’t hear back within a few days, call the staffer back and ask what the member said. Be sure to contact all the House and Senate offices in your state, not just your specific members of Congress. In addition, contact the networks you cultivated in November and December and urge them to call as well. You can find contact info on our Elected Officials page of the RESULTS website. Finally, please sent any feedback you or your networks get from House and Senate offices to Meredith Dodson at dodson@results.org. To make it easy, use our online call-in alert when calling and you can enter your feedback right on the alert form; your feedback will then be automatically sent to RESULTS’ Domestic staff. Invite Members of Congress and Staff to DC BriefingsOur 2010 RESULTS Domestic legislative campaign will focus on using the tax code to reduce poverty through measures like the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and asset building strategies like the Saver’s Bonus. We will also target some efforts in support of smart and fair tax policy, like reinstatement of the estate tax. Even though health care is taking center stage right now, tax reform is expected to be a big issue in 2010. We want to lay the groundwork now. January 29 is National EITC Awareness Day, which is designed to bring attention to this important poverty-reduction program. Our friends at the National Community Tax Coalition and New America Foundation, as well as others, are holding an event in Washington DC this Friday to highlight new tools to help families build more economic security via the tax code. We want as many members of Congress and/or staff to attend this event. In addition, tomorrow, January 27 at 9:00 am, there will be another briefing, “The State of Medicaid: Protecting and Improving America’s Safety Net as Health Care Is Reformed.” The briefing will underscore the critical importance of the Medicaid program in the context of health care reform. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO-1), Chris Murphy (D-CT-5), Tim Murphy (R-PA-18) (invited) and John Sarbanes (D-MD-3) will participate in the event as special guests. When calling your House and Senate aides about health reform today, urge them to attend this event. TAKE ACTION: Contact your members of Congress’ office and urge them and their staff to attend these two briefings. For the EITC briefing on January 29, call or e-mail the aides that handle tax issues with this invitation:
For the Medicaid briefing on January 27, contact the health aide with this message:
You can find out the names of aides and contact info on our Elected Officials page. For a brief overview of our tax policy work, see our Economic Opportunity PowerPoint presentation. Supreme Court Decision Causes FurorLast week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that corporations and labor unions have the same right as individuals to spend money on advertising for or against candidates in federal elections. The court said laws restricting corporate spending violated the First Amendment right of free speech. Unfortunately, money is often the deciding factor in determining who wins an election. Many commentators are saying this decision makes things far worse. Legislators will be more afraid to vote against corporate interests because they may then face attack ads or a well-financed opponent in the next election. Already, the decision is prompting corporate interests to act. Others, however, suggest that there are ways to blunt the impact of the court’s decision. The effect of money on politics is one reason America needs informed citizens who can make objective decisions about public policy. This is why organizations like RESULTS and volunteers like you are so critical. The more informed one is, the less likely they will be swayed by the type of ads this decision may spawn. Remember, RESULTS’s work is not just about ending poverty. As RESULTS founder Sam Daley-Harris puts it, RESULTS is about “reclaiming our democracy.” Every day, you prove the truth of this paradigm. Thank you for all you do to reclaim democracy for all of us. Fundraising Update: A Note from RESULTS/REF Executive Director Joanne CarterA profound thanks to each of you who helped us reach — and exceed — our matching challenge grant to raise new money for RESULTS Educational Fund! Your gifts totaled over $50,000. Combined with the matching grant of $30,000 from an anonymous donor, we raised more than $80,000. This outpouring of support is a remarkable testament to your generosity. Your donations are so vital to our work during this critical time. They will allow us to expand our capacity and further our campaigns to:
And so much more! Every dollar you donate helps our voice get louder, inspiring our leaders to make the important decisions that will ensure all people have the health care, education, and economic opportunity they need to thrive. Thank you again for choosing to make a difference in the lives of millions of people at home and abroad by donating to RESULTS Educational Fund. And thank you for your generous financial support to partner organizations working to help Haiti. Quick NewsJoin Webinar on What Government Can Do about Unemployment. There are 6.4 jobseekers for every unfilled job — and that gap is growing. Two-thirds of Americans are close to someone who is out of work. And joblessness is worst for communities of color, youth, and women who head households. The private sector does not have the capacity to rebuild employment on its own; more federal action is urgently needed. Jobs for America Now is sponsoring a free webinar that will outline steps the federal government can do to help Americans find work in these tough times. The webinar is this Thursday, January 28, 3:00–4:00 pm ET. To register, go to http://www.bostonconferencing.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=178&Itemid=157&mid=0#register. The Good News is . . . President Obama plans to announce an increase in child care assistance. The National Women’s Law Center is reporting that President Obama’s FY 2011 budget proposal will include a one-year $1.6 billion increase for the Child Care Development Block Grant. The administration estimates that this will help 235,000 more children. The administration also plans to work with Congress to improve the quality of care for all children. The president also plans to nearly double the Child Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle-income families. Families making under $85,000 a year would have their credit raised from 20 to 35 percent of their child care expenses. Nearly all eligible families making under $115,000 a year would see an increase in their credit. However, the credit will not be made refundable, which would help lower-income families. And Now for the Bad News . . . It is also rumored that the president will announce a three-year freeze on non-military discretionary spending in his State of the Union address. As Ezra Klein notes in the Washington Post, “The way this works is simple: The administration will target worthless programs, like agricultural subsidies, in order to preserve good programs. But the reason worthless programs live in budget after budget is they have powerful backers . . . Now you’ve removed some of the cuts, but you still want to hit the overall target. So the cuts could get reapportioned to hit programs that lack powerful constituencies. Many of those programs help the poor.” RESULTS will have more on this once the president announces the details of his plan. Head Start Association Comments on Impact Study. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report this month that confirms a positive impact on children’s preschool experience. The National Head Start Association (NHSA) said in a press release, “This study demonstrates that Head Start programs are of good or better quality and finds favorable cognitive, socio-emotional, and health impacts for children who attended Head Start and positive impacts on parenting practices. Yet the study [also] indicates that many of the early gains made in Head Start prior to kindergarten might be lost at the end of first grade.” NHSA notes that Head Start has a 45-year history of continuous improvement. AnnouncementsGroup Planning Coming Up. Please remember schedule a specific time in February 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. RESULTS Signs on to Child Nutrition Letter. RESULTS joined the Child Nutrition Forum and other organizations in signing a letter to congressional leaders in support of a robust and well-funded child nutrition reauthorization bill. You can access the text of the letter (PDF) at: http://www.frac.org/pdf/cnr_letter_jan22_2010.pdf 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 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. |