RESULTS Austin 2018 Newsletter

RESULTS Austin on the Hill in 2018

As a fairly recent addition to the RESULTS community, Marian (on the right) felt very privileged to attend the 2018 International Conference (IC) last July. She was impressed by so many aspects of the gathering, not least by the extensive preparations made in advance, not only by those who made the journey to Washington, but those who were not physically with us. Anne and Eloise gathered letters, made appointments, and researched our representatives’ records on the issues we intended to address. They sent the travelers off ready to make a difference.

Once at the IC, Marian was delighted to meet the other members of the Texas delegation, including a group of brilliant young people participating in RESULTS’ Real Change program, and a young man from Dallas who wasn’t a Real Changer because he was too young -- but not too young to make an eloquent case for increased spending against tuberculosis.  The Austin-area delegation, led by RESULTS veterans Mark (Global – on the left) and Sarah (Domestic – third from the left), joined the rest of the Texans in attending Sen. Cruz’s weekly coffee and meeting with Sen. Cornyn’s staffers. RESULTS Austin also met with attentive staffers for Reps. O’Rourke, Hurd, Carter, Doggett, Flores, Castro, Smith, Williams, and McCaul, and were surprised to be welcomed by Reps. Flores and Williams themselves. They even had an impromptu elevator conversation with Rep. Scott Peters of California. Austin Real Changers, sisters Avery and Addison (second from right and left), made the meetings memorable, recounting their experiences in Haiti, including delivering a baby and welcoming a Haitian little brother who has survived both TB and HIV.

Though the visits to our Members of Congress were the focus of the IC, Marian was also very impressed by the amount of information provided by RESULTS staff and friends of the organization like World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. In particular, she appreciated the focus on tuberculosis, including an excellent session on efforts to create cost-effective medications against multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant forms of the disease. An unexpected session on possible changes to federal policy on persons identified as “public charges” turned out to be prescient.

Marian is grateful to have been able to attend IC 2018 and looks forward to preparing our delegation for next year’s event.

Reach Every Mother & Child Act

RESULTS global poverty teams are working for a second Congressional session to pass the Reach Every Mother and Child Act.  RESULTS Austin was able to secure two more cosponsor for HR 4022 this year bringing the Texas total to 14 and 207 cosponsors from across the U.S.

Mark,    Rep. Hurd’s staff - Anton,          Marian

Congressman Will Hurd, as a former CIA officer working abroad, he understands the relationship between development assistance and our national security. Congressman Lloyd Doggett is a long-time supporter of RESULTS initiatives.  As a member of the House Ways and Means committee, he is responsible to see that our taxes are used effectively.  The Reach Every Mother and Child Act achieves both: putting our tax dollars to use with effective maternal & child health programs and making sure we coordinate with other governments & organizations for transparency and accountability.

Growing awareness for Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a deadly disease that spreads through the air and can impact any of us.  Although the global infection rate is declining, still every year, 10.5 million people get sick with TB, 1.5 million die, and over 4 million (that’s 40%), are missed by health systems and never treated.

A major strength of RESULTS is that we dig into the nitty gritty details like appropriations funding levels and we stick with issues for the long haul.  In 1999 when RESULTS started working on TB, the U.S invested only $1 million a year in global Tuberculosis programs.  But with our urging, the House appropriations bill currently includes $302 million for TB, the highest level ever, even though early this year, the Administration suggested slashing foreign aid.

On September 26, at the first ever UN High Level Meeting on TB, world leaders pledged to reach 40 million people with TB treatment by 2022. RESULTS advocates are going to continue to work with Congress to ensure that the U.S. keeps its pledge, giving hope for reaching the missing untreated 40%, and ultimately, for ending this killer disease.

2018 fundraising

In these polarizing political times, some may feel hopeless.  RESULTS advocates create hope by being in action. 

• We forge partnerships in the community to have a larger voice.
• We write multiple letters to the editor for every one that gets published
• We speak personally to members of Congress even though the conversation might sometimes be, at the very least, difficult.

Focusing on effective solutions and advocating across party lines in concert with others across the country, new advocates like Marian realize the incredible power they possess to use their voices to change the world.

In supporting RESULTS advocacy, visionary donors like you, not only create change, you create hope, and for this we thank you.

If you wish to donate, please either send your contribution in the enclosed envelope or contribute online at https://results.salsalabs.org/virtualthanksgivingfeast/t/resultsaustin.  Thank you!

 

RESULTS / RESULTS Educational Fund

1101 15^th St. NW, Suite 1200 - Washington, DC 20005

www.RESULTS.org