Heartfelt thanks from the staff at the Coalition on Human Needs

[Sapphire Blue]

(and from me to DU!)

An email from the Coalition on Human Needs...

Thank you.

Together we have worked our hearts out to protect low-income people from the cuts that the House very narrowly passed yesterday.

I have been receiving many emails yesterday and today praising the amazing work that our broad coalition has done together - you probably have too, and if you're like me, it is hard to take comfort in that when we know vulnerable people will be hurt by these very bad choices.

But here's what should give us some comfort: the work we have done is groundbreaking. Proponents of these cuts tried to say they are simply modest measures to trim the deficit. Your work has helped to ensure that the press has not covered yesterday's vote that way. In editorials across the nation, and press accounts today, the vote was exposed for what it was - the choice to cut aid for low-income and vulnerable people to protect tax breaks and special interest largesse.

Our work is groundbreaking because we have been able to shine a light on decisions that Congressional leaders hoped would be hidden in a dark-of-night debate and near-dawn vote. The light we shed resulted in some members of Congress changing their vote to oppose the bill - a fairly remarkable outcome. Your efforts made that possible.

What is also groundbreaking is the coalition we have built. 82,000 calls to members of Congress since the summer, just on the American Friends Service Committee line, and tens of thousands more through other phone lines. The Emergency Campaign for America's Priorities (ECAP) coordinated hundreds of events in target states. Members of Congress heard from us through vigils, rallies, and direct calls to the member him/herself. They know that worrisome numbers of their constituents are watching their decisions.

So now we start again. The President's budget is being released this Monday - February 6. It is an election year. The press and members of Congress know that our broad coalition had the strength to reduce the extent of the cuts, to force delays in the votes, and to hold them to a 216-214 margin. That means that it will be easier for us to shine a light on new proposals to cut further, and that we, the worrisome band of constituents across the nation, are watching and remembering.

We will be sharing information about the President's budget from our expert members as soon as it is available. Together, we will share ideas for the most effective actions we can take. One short-term action - write a letter of thanks if your member voted against these cuts; express your disappointment to those who voted for the cuts. Here are links to the House roll call vote http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll004.xml and the Senate roll call vote http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00363.

Again, heartfelt thanks from the staff at the Coalition on Human Needs

Deborah Weinstein
Jen Beeson
Steve Wamhoff

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1. Thank you. nt