Tell the Senate: Prioritize our communities in the budget

The next two weeks are a major window of opportunity to align our country’s resources with our people’s needs. We voted for equity and justice, and now is the time to hold Congress accountable to implement solutions at the scale necessary to tackle the country’s most urgent infrastructure problems while strengthening the care economy.  We need your support in contacting your Senators today to tell them that you support the bipartisan infrastructure framework and a bold Budget Resolution that meets the urgency of this moment and addresses all of our needs.    Take Action People of faith are demanding a budget that meets the scope and scale of this historic moment. Now is the time to act to ensure our families and communities are included in the budget.  It takes two minutes to email your elected officials with a pre-drafted message. Join us in asking Senators to support both the bi-partisan infrastructure framework and the proposed Senate Budget Resolution that includes:   Permanent Expansion of the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.  Protecting the lives of our most vulnerable, our nation’s children, should be the top priority of any budget. A permanent Child Tax Credit that is accessible and available to all children and their families will lift millions out of poverty.  Medicare expansion and closing the Medicaid coverage gap.  Medicare expansion ensures adults receive the holistic health care they need by including coverage for hearing, vision, and dental. In addition, we can lower the age of Medicare enrollment by empowering Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs. Closing the Medicaid gap would provide health coverage for an additional 2.2 million Americans, including essential workers.  A pathway to citizenship and needed support for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers. We need funding that reflects a commitment to an immediate pathway for undocumented immigrants and to building a modern and functional immigration system that recognizes immigrants’ humanity, rights, and unifies families.  Investment in climate solutions and addressing climate change.  We need to curtail our climate pollution while creating clean energy employment and advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice. We need investment to address the legacy of pollution in America which harms poor and minority communities with toxic pollution from refineries and other sites.  Addressing the crisis in housing and continuing enhanced nutrition benefits. We must increase investments in affordable housing, rental assistance, funding for tribal housing, and targeted programs to combat homelessness through both affordable housing and support services.  Nutrition programs, including expanded SNAP benefits, must be made permanent.    Combating economic injustice and systemic racism. A moral budget must require corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share to create a fairer tax system, reduce inequality, and help sustain funding for critical programs. Out-dated and missing infrastructure, including human infrastructure, disproportionally impacts communities of color. Bold investment in our shared future will create the conditions in which everyone thrives. This bill is being negotiated this week, and by using your voice now we can make a real difference. Please join us in urging Congress to prioritize getting desperately needed resources to our communities that need it most.      Take Action Thank you for taking action!  In faith,  Lauren W. Reliford Political Director