Join the Call - Michigan Advocates Discuss the "Super Committee" on October 12
Some months ago a number of Michigan leaders connected with Ruth Flower from the Friends Committee on National Legislation on a call to discuss your work around the federal budget. Now, the Budget Control Act (more commonly known as the “deficit deal”) has created a “super committee” charged with producing a bill that specifies ways to reduce the deficit by $1.2 - $1.5 trillion over ten years by November 23rd. Representatives Dave Camp and Fred Upton were both selected to participate on this “super committee”.
To help social service providers, non-profit organizations and religious leaders engage in this round of advocacy with the Federal budget and the “super committee”, the SAVE for All Campaign is coordinating a conference call with advocacy leaders in Michigan – especially in Representative Upton and Camp’s districts. The call is scheduled for October 12th at 1:00pm EST. The SAVE for All Campaign includes almost 1600 organizations and more than 45 Michigan groups that are committed to protecting programs for that support low-income families, and finding more reasonable ways to spend government funds and to collect the taxes that support what the nation actually needs.
The call will last for less than one hour and will focus on the following:
* Update on the current situation at the federal level (the importance and role of both Camp and Upton in the current budget negotiations, the Budget Control Act, the Super Committee, a balanced budget amendment, and other relevant pieces)
* What’s at stake for Michigan in these negotiations and decisions?
* What kind of advocacy do you think would influence Rep. Camp or Upton? Who has their attention?
* What has advocacy activities are already underway in Michigan, and what capacities do Michigan groups have.
* How can national groups help?
* Q & A
Why should your organization be involved?
As stated above, Representatives Camp and Upton’s positions on the “super committee” makes them of particular importance in the federal budget debate. Votes for a “deal” on the “super committee” only need to be supported by a majority. That means a vote by either Upton or Camp to protect low-income people, invest in jobs, etc. could tip the scales in our direction. That’s why the SAVE for All Campaign has been working with key states to identify networks of leaders in key states, to get their advice on dealing with their members of Congress, to hear about their in-state advocacy efforts, and to see if our national coalitions can strengthen that work in any way. The goal is to strengthen the resolve of key members of Congress to advocate for and protect programs for low-income people and families.
Representatives Camp and Upton, like most of Congress, are very concerned about the federal debt and how to create savings in our budget. It is important that they hear from folks in Michigan that cutting major child care, education, health care programs and other programs that serve the most vulnerable is not an answer to the nation’s budget problems. Representative Upton is in a particularly interesting position to cross the aisle and do that.
We in the SAVE for All Campaign believe that deficit spending can be brought under control, with a combination of judicious spending cuts that protect low-income programs, investments in job creation, and a fair revenue plan that closes tax loopholes that currently favor wealthy individuals and corporations. To get to that result, we need commitments from key members of the “super committee” to protect low income families and individuals. Let’s see what we can make happen!
Register
Please register here for the call on October 12th at 1:00pm EST. We’ll send a confirmation and call-in number to all registrants. It is important that members of your organization in Michigan be represented on this call. We hope you will be able to join us.
If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact Angie Evans at Aevans@chn.org or 202-223-2532, ext 112. Thank you very much, and we look forward to talking with you on October 12th at 1:00pm EST.
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