Bread for the World’s Lobby Day 2011

The Ask:

Create a circle of protection around funding for programs for hungry

and poor people in the United States and abroad.

Why the budget?

It could all be jeopardized in the next 2 months.

We’ve accomplished so much in the last 30 years …• Globally, 400 million

fewer people living in extreme poverty since 1990.

• In the last year, 114,000 infants around the world were born HIV-free thanks to antiretroviral medications.

• U.S. infant mortality rate has fallen dramatically from 20 deaths per 1,000 to 7.

Why are we working on the budget?

• Negotiations going on right now

• Prime time for your voice

• Vote within the next month

How did we get here?

1. Deficit concerns are real

2. Deficit problems not due to programs for poor and hungry people

3. Choices: we can reduce poverty and reduce our deficits

The Debt Ceiling Vote

• The vote must pass

• Economic consequences if it is not raised

• But the big question: What will be attached?

The Ask:

Create a circle of protection around funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the

United States and abroad.

Create a circle of protection around funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the United States and

abroad.

Plus:1. Oppose caps on overall federal

spending

2. Exempt programs for hungry and poor people from cuts

3. Consider all tools for deficit reduction

I. Oppose caps on overall federal spending

• Ignores current realities

• Government can’t respond to spikes in need

• Requires massive spending cuts

A cap on overall federal spending=

deep domestic cuts

SNAP cuts:• 8 million people lose

benefits, or• Family of 4 see monthly

benefit cut by $147

WIC Cuts: • Could see 325,000 -

475,000 low-income women and children lose their WIC benefits

A cap on overall federal spending=

deep international cuts• 4 million children each

year could die or be stunted from lack of access to nutritious foods

• 14 million people will be cut off from emergency food aid each year

• 15 million fewer people treated for malaria each year

• 400,000 people requiring treatment for HIV/AIDS would be turned away each year

II. Exempt programs for hungry and poor people from cuts

• Historical precedent over the past 30 years

• Moral value we agree upon

II. Exempt programs for hungry and poor people from cuts

• Exempt on the front end:• No specific cuts to programs for hungry

and poor people in actual proposals

• Exempt on the back end:• Triggers must exempt programs for

hungry and poor people

III: Consider all tools for deficit reduction

• We can reduce our deficits and maintain a commitment to ending hunger and poverty

• But revenues must be a part of the solution

Review: Create a circle of protection

around funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the

United States and abroad.

Plus:I. Oppose caps on overall

federal spending

II. Exempt programs for hungry and poor people from cuts

III. Consider all tools for deficit reduction

Fighting hunger and poverty is good for the

economy

• Domestic low-income programs support the economyo $1 SNAP = $1.73 in

economic activity

o $1 Unemployment Benefits = $1.63 in economic activity

o $1 refundable tax credits = $1.26 in economic activity

Fighting hunger and poverty is good for the economy

• About 50% of U.S. exports go to developing countries and 1 in 5 jobs in the U.S. are tied to trade. 

• For every 10% increase in U.S. exports abroad, there is 7% decrease in the U.S. unemployment rate.

Foreign assistance builds trade capacity

Fighting hunger and poverty is good for national security

• For every 5 percent decline in a country’s income growth, there is a 10 percent increase in the likelihood of violent conflict.

• The U.S. provided democracy and governance assistance to 36 of the 57 nations that successfully made the transition to democratic government during 1980-1995.

Foreign Assistance saves lives and promotes stability

Review: Create a circle of protection

around funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the

United States and abroad. Plus:I. Oppose caps on overall

federal spending

II. Exempt programs for hungry and poor people from cuts

III. Consider all tools for deficit reduction

Preparing for Pushback

• Deficits too big. We must cut everything.

• These programs have grown too much.

• Anti-hunger programs are not effective and create government dependency.

• If we exempt these programs, we will have to exempt all programs.

Pushback:

“Our deficits are too big. Everything needs to be cut.”

• These programs are not creating our deficits

• They are a small portion of the budget

• As we recover from the recession, need remains very high

Pushback:

“Programs for hungry and poor people have grown to out of control levels in

recent years.”

• Worse recession since Great Depression.

• Program growth to meet spikes in need.

• As need falls, programs will shrink.

Pushback:

“Programs for hungry and poor people have grown to out of control levels in recent years.”

• International Poverty- Focused Development Assistance is only 0.6% of the budget.

• This small amount of our budget • saves lives • promotes stability• future economic

well-being

Pushback:

“These programs don’t reduce hunger or poverty. They just create

government dependency.”

Promoting Economic Mobility:

• Most only receive EITC for 1 or 2 years before moving onto higher income brackets and paying more in taxes

• Federal job training programs• Increase employment rates

by 10% points• Raise average quarterly

earnings by $800• Use less public assistance

Pushback:

“These programs don’t reduce hunger or poverty. They just create government dependency.”

• 1.3 million people now have access to clean water

• Millennium Challenge Corporation project raised Honduran farmers’ purchasing power by 87%

• A well nourished child has a 30% higher income potential over their lifetime

• Vaccines save 3 million lives each year

Pushback:

“If we exempt these programs we will end up having to exempt all

programs.”

• Exempting anti-poverty programs didn’t prevent deficit reduction in the past.

• These programs are a small portion of the budget.

• Protecting programs for poor and hungry people is not a tough choice. It is a moral imperative.

The Ask: Create a circle of protection

around funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the

United States and abroad. Plus:I. Oppose caps on overall

federal spending

II. Exempt programs for hungry and poor people from cuts

III. Consider all tools for deficit reduction

Please, remember to:

Fill out the Congressional Visit Report Form!

Invite staff to our reception tonight at St. Mark’s from 5:30-7pm

Make sure to thank the member or staff for their time.

Now let’s go do some advocacy!

Create a circle of protection around funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the

United States and abroad.

I. Oppose caps on overall federal spending

II. Exempt programs for hungry and poor people from cuts

III. Consider all tools for deficit reduction