More than a million and a half Americans could lose their jobs if the Senate does not act soon. Millions of Americans will immediately lose their unemployment insurance benefits if the Senate doesn’t act to extend unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies by the end of next week. And state and local governments are slashing budgets, getting ready to lay off firefighters, police officers, and teachers.

Our country cannot afford the job loss that will come from inaction. Every dollar of unemployment insurance benefits creates $1.90 of stimulus in the community. Our country will lose another 800,000 jobs if the Senate’s inaction cuts off benefits.

And if the Senate acts now, federal aid could also save jobs in essential public safety, education, and health services provided by state and local governments.

Your senators need to hear that now is not the time to procrastinate.

Demand that the Senate vote immediately to save jobs by extending UI benefits and COBRA subsidies through the end of 2010 and by providing aid to state and local governments.

The Senate is considering legislation to spur job creation, but it isn’t clear if the bill will include policies to create jobs for the communities that have been hit the hardest in this recession.  There are three provisions that can create or save over 2 million jobs in low-income and minority communities while helping the economy overall and lifting up all Americans.

Call your senator today at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to support a jobs package that includes:

• extension of unemployment benefits and the COBRA health insurance subsidy through the end of 2010 by February 19.
• investment in direct job creation that addresses long-neglected needs in communities.
• aid to states and localities to prevent further job losses and service cuts.

Read more »

President Obama’s proposal for the 2010 Federal Budget includes dramatic strides in the fight against poverty and for increased opportunity.  We must ensure that these important steps remain in the budget legislation as it moves through Congress.

• Call your Senators now at (202) 224-3121 in support of President Obama’s budget priorities.
• Ask organizations you belong to to sign a statement in support of the President’s budget priorities.

The budget makes investments we need to rebuild the economy from the bottom up, opening up access to jobs in renewable energy, transportation, health care, and education.  It puts us on a path towards health care for all Americans. The budget builds on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide protections against some of the worst ravages of the recession, making tax credits permanent that will lift at least a million children and their families out of poverty. 

It invests in Head Start; education for low income students; Pell Grants to make college more affordable; better nutrition for low-income children; and affordable housing.  It recommends fair sources of revenue to pay for these investments responsibly, while recognizing the needs of low and moderate income families.

But there is no guarantee that these priorities will stay in the budget as Congress sets to work on it. Members of Congress need to hear from us that fighting poverty and increasing opportunity must be be key principles of the budget.

• Call your Senators now at (202) 224-3121 in support of the President Obama’s budget priorities.
  
• Ask organizations you belong to to sign a statement in support of the President’s budget priorities.

Learn More: The President’s Budget:  A Dramatic Shift in Priorities from the Half in Ten partner Coalition on Human Needs

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From the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a Half in Ten partner –

Take Action Now:
Call 202-224-3121 and urge your representative to support the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (H.R. 1106), which would assist in stabilizing our economy by letting homeowners modify their mortgages in bankruptcy court and reduce foreclosures.

As early as this Thursday, March 5, the House of Representatives could vote on a broad package of initiatives in the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (H.R. 1106). This bill is designed to help end our financial crisis by reducing the massive number of families losing their homes to foreclosure. It is estimated that 6,600 families are losing their homes to foreclosure every single day. Last week, President Obama announced his support for these initiatives.

A critical component of H.R. 1106 would provide homeowners with a final option to prevent foreclosure through the Chapter 13 bankruptcy process by setting up realistic and affordable mortgage payment plans. This last resort gives homeowners, local communities, and the economy an opportunity to recover from this current crisis, without cost to taxpayers.

We can’t end the financial crisis without stemming the rising tide of foreclosures. Call 202-224-3121 and urge your representative to support the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act (H.R. 1106), which would assist in stabilizing our economy by letting homeowners modify their mortgages in bankruptcy court and reduce foreclosures.

Click here to find out more information about H.R. 1106.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes many initiatives that help people in poverty, including home weatherization funds, UIMA, and child care. This essential legislation also includes a much needed expansion of the Child Tax Credit. Under current law, the Child Tax Credit gives up to $1,000 per child to households with kids—but it currently leaves out millions of children in the lowest income families. We need your help to increase support to these children.

Click here to tell the Senate to support the recovery package today!

Unemployment Insurance helps keep families from losing their homes and falling into poverty when workers lose their jobs, and economists tell us that it is among the most effective forms of stimulus.

Click here to tell your members of Congress to include UIMA in the recovery package today! Please note that this campaign is no longer active.

February 4, 2009

Click here to read Half in Ten’s summary on the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

From the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a Half in Ten partner–

Take Action Now:

Call your senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to help the children and families most in need by passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (S.1) with a Child Tax Credit (CTC) without an earnings threshold. Read more »

February 2, 2009—

If you don’t act now, the Obama economic recovery plan, which creates and saves millions of jobs, protects people from hardship, and invests in shared prosperity, could be derailed.

Please join a national call today, Feb. 2 at 4pm eastern time (3pm central, 2pm mountain, 1pm pacific).

Read more »

February 10, 2009

Call your Representative and Senators: 866-544-7573 (toll-free)

Message to your Rep. and Senators: Tell the Conference Committee to agree to an economic recovery bill with the House’s aid to states and communities (including education, Head Start, and affordable housing), and the House’s version of the Child Tax Credit. Our state needs the jobs; our people need the help – please vote for the final American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The 650,000 job difference: Although the two bills cost about the same (more than $800 billion each), the House bill saves/creates hundreds of thousands more jobs because it provides more aid to states to prevent education and other important services from being cut. The House bill also creates jobs by investing more to renovate low-income housing and to support community services including Head Start. Very important, the House bill also provides more help to millions more low-income families through the Child Tax Credit. The Senate bill does less in these areas, and spends more on tax breaks that mostly benefit upper-income people.

Click here for more details about the House/Senate differences.

From our friends at the Food Research and Action Center

Congress is on recess until December 8th, but more layoffs and pay cuts are happening every day, and hunger is growing every day. Here are four ways that you can act over the next few days to initiate meaningful solutions to eliminate hunger in our communities.
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