Sen. Blackburn, McRibGreene, Josh “Uterus” Hawley and serial sexual predator/college drop-out Rep. Cawthorn defining “woman” were distracting, but not enough to forget that the extremist-funded GOP has done nothing to improve the lives of non-millionaire women and it is now actively harming them. So, stiffen the spines of wobbling Democrats and bedevil the phones and email of any GOP legislators one may be unfortunate enough to call one’s own, and share these important issues.
- Action #1: Tell Congress to keep child care in their economic package.
- Action #2: Tell Joe to keep his word and cancel student debt – (2) sample letters to use.
- Action #3: The “sandwich generation” is struggling. Email your senators and ask them to invest in home- and community-based services.
Action #1: Tell Congress to keep child care in their economic package.
(MomsRising.org) 6,000 child care centers closed during the pandemic and nearly half a million families are now estimated to be stranded without reliable child care, exacerbating the nation’s worker shortage. Even pre-pandemic, more than half of families lived in child care deserts without safe, nurturing, affordable options. Because of this, women are falling behind economically, especially those in low- and middle-income communities, Black and Hispanic families, and rural families.
- 1st task – Call your two senators’ offices!: Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Senator [___] to know that if we are truly a country that values our children, it is important to include a comprehensive plan to include child care and pre-k in the economic package. (Contact numbers below)
- Sign their petition: Sign and share this PETITION telling Senators that they MUST include child care and pre-k in the economic package! (https://action.momsrising.org/sign/Child_Care_rapid_response/)
- Send a letter to the editor: Click on their super quick and easy tool to format and send a Letter to Editor (LTE) to your local newspaper. Lawmakers are reading their local papers to get a sense of what matters to people in their community.
- Share your experience: Share your child care story to our story collection that we will share with elected officials!
- Make a video: Make a quick, impactful video sharing your child care story here!
- TWEET!: Tweet this message to each of your senators: “Congress cannot leave families behind. It’s time to #SolveChildCare. Child care and Pre-K MUST be included in the reconciliation package!”
Action #2: Tell Joe to keep his word and cancel student debt – (2) sample letters to use.
The Biden Administration extended its pause on student loan payments until August 31, delaying the repayment of millions of student loan accounts. But it’s not enough – no matter how long we push it back, student loan debt continues to threaten the economic wellbeing of borrowers. Women hold nearly 2/3 of all student loan debt and women of color are disproportionately burdened with this debt. In addition, canceling student loan debt could help counter a future recession.
Families across the country are struggling to make ends meet amidst rising costs, which are largely driven by corporate greed. With the stroke of a pen, President Biden can deliver instant relief in the form of student loan forgiveness! We’re grateful for the latest repayment pause extension, but we need a permanent solution.
- Sample letter from Color of Change: https://act.colorofchange.org/letter/eliminate-student-debt/source
- Sample letter from MomsRising: https://action.momsrising.org/sign/CancelStudentDebt/
(These are both great model letters, however, try to personalize your letter with your own life experiences. For older people whose college tuition in CA was minimal before Reagan and Prop. 13 took over, talk about how your career and life trajectory differs from those burdened with ever-increasing debt. Remind him of his words – “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” Other countries believe in investing in their citizenry. We should follow their example.)
Action #3: The “sandwich generation” is struggling. Email your senators and ask them to invest in home and community based services.
Many families who have kids and adults with disabilities, or aging family members, struggle without the right kind of support and services. This is why we need Congress to take action to improve our long-term care system to those who need care to stay at home and thrive in their communities.
Sample email here: Dear Senator [___], [Personalize this letter with your own family’s care stories.]
I am writing to ask that you deliver real solutions for moms and families now by including a $150 billion investment in Home- and Community-Based Services in an economic package this year. This would expand services to people with disabilities and older adults, reduce waiting lists, and improve job quality for the workers who provide these critical services.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how important it is for families to have the option to keep their loved ones at home, given the large number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in congregate settings, including nursing homes. The American Rescue Plan included a temporary provision to increase the federal match rate for Home- and Community-Based Services by 10% to build capacity for these services. While this was a good start, much more is needed in order to address the needs of people with disabilities and the inequities that exist in long-term services and support programs across the country after decades of lack of investment in the HCBS infrastructure.
This investment in HCBS would also enable states to raise job quality (i.e. wages, benefits, access to training, and career pathways) for direct care workers, most of whom are women of color and immigrants. And it must begin to address the significant race and population-based inequities that often occur with access to HCBS.
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 