Top Action this Week: Final Senate Appropriations Request Push

2013 will be a challenging year for global poverty issues with mandated spending ceilings, so we'll need to work hard to ensure that cuts are not made to programs that matter most to those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.
It's time to take serious action in the Senate. Though we'll be taking action on appropriations throughout the summer, it's important to act by specific dates outlined by the various appropriations sub-committees. The Foreign Operations Sub-Committee of Appropriations in the Senate has asked all senators to submit their official written input to them by this Friday, March 30, which means that Senate offices have set deadlines order to organize constituent input.

2-minute Action: Use our online action alert on 2013 appropriations to ask your senators to prioritize funding for programs that reach the poorest.

5-minute Action: Call the Congressional Switchboard ((202) 224-3121), ask for your senators' offices and leave the following message: "We need to prioritize foreign assistance programs that reach the poorest and make effective use of our investments. I would like the senator to write to the chair and ranking member of the foreign operations sub-committee of appropriations and ask them to include the following priorities for 2013 (choose 1 or 2):

• $1.65 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria
• $125 million for the Global Partnership for Education
• $145 million for the Global Alliance for vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI)
• $650 million for bilateral TB
• $500 million for microfinance."

15-minute Action: Call the Congressional Switchboard ((202) 224-3121), ask for your senators' offices, ask to speak to the aide in charge of foreign policy. Make the same request as the five-minute action. Ask if the senator will take the action and wait for an answer. If you don't get the aide in person, leave a voicemail message.

Learn more about our appropriations requests on www.RESULTS.org.

Speak Up for Funding Vital Foreign Assistance Programs in FY12

Make a Call to Your Representative this Week. There are many  members of Congress who  understand how important foreign assistance  is to the U.S. as well as how important it is to the  individuals and families it ultimately reaches. Because foreign aid is not disappearing from our national budget, it is  critical that even those who do not favor it insist that it be used in smart, effective ways. It is important that  our representatives know that foreign aid is vital to our economy, our  security,  and our global leadership. Encourage your representative to support at least one of the effective solutions articulated in our appropriations requests (microfinance, TB, Global Fund, GAVI, Education for All). Our representatives must submit their requests electronically to the chairs of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee by May 20, so we need to act this week to give our representatives time to make the request. (The House is in recess May 16-20, but members can still make requests during that time.) Call and ask for the  foreign policy aide, make the request to support  funding levels for one  of our priorities noted above, and follow up by  sending appropriate information.  Our action sheet can help you with this.

Make a Call to Your Senators. The Senate must refuse the House's approach to reducing our federal deficit. Let both of your senators know that   we expect them to do better. The House of Representatives passed a budget for 2012 that would make  draconian cuts to foreign assistance programs—the same programs that boost U.S. exports, according to the Chamber of Commerce, and make us safer, according to 70 retired military leaders. Cutting foreign aid as the House recommends risks our economy, our security, and lives.