Republican-Backed House to Vote Yes on Slashing Funding Levels for Programs Serving Low-Income Students and Families….Now It’s Time to Work the Senate!   

 

All Members are home next week for the President’s Day Recess!!!!!

The House just passed a bill (H.R. 1) that cuts $100 billion in spending for the country’s most underprivileged citizens.  

Next the bill heads to the Senate……What will the Senate do?

Tell Senators to Reject Irresponsible Spending Cuts that Target TRIO, the Pell Grant program, and Other Programs that Provide Necessary Support to the Nation’s Low-Income Youth and Families.

 

Tomorrow, the Republican-lead House will vote to cut a variety of education programs, most of which are targeted toward low-income students – including TRIO, GEAR UP, and Pell Grants (for a list of cuts, please see the attached chart). It is now up to the Senate to vote on the measure, which is expected to face strong opposition by the Democratic majority. It is up to YOU to start calling your Senators immediately and let them know that a cut against TRIO and the Pell Grant program is a cut against low-income and first-generation students, students with disabilities, adult learners, and Veterans where you live. 

 

The Senate is in recess next week, so it is the perfect time to outreach and meet, call, and write your Senators, contact your local media and express your feelings about these drastic cuts, and rally your community. For the contact information for your local Senate offices, please visit http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

 

The Senate will not vote until after the recess. Please use the week when Congress is at home to let your Senators know they must reject the devastating cuts the House will soon pass.

Organize activities and/or attend events so your Senators learn how harmful the cuts to TRIO and other education programs will be to their constituents:

 

• Invite your Senator and/or staff to visit a TRIO program at your institution. Let them see a successful program, talk to students and families served by TRIO, and hear about the effects of a potential cut. (If you can't schedule such a visit next week, arrange for a later time. There will be many more votes about cuts in the coming months.)
• Schedule a meeting with your Senators or Rep. and a group of advocates either at their office, a location you arrange, or by conference call. (When time is short, a conference call may be easiest to arrange.)
• Find out about "meet and greet" opportunities or forums set up by your Senators or Rep. and arrange to have people there who can talk about the cuts.
• Arrange for call-ins to the local offices each day, by different members of your network. 

 

[Note: contacting Senators is most crucial, because the final outcome is in their hands. But holding events with Reps. can also be important, either to hold them accountable for their vote or to get press attention that the Senators will also see.]

Please tell us if you will be doing any of these (or other) activities, or ask for more information, by contacting Heather Valentine ([log in to unmask]) or Kimberly Jones ([log in to unmask]). Don’t forget to send us your stories and what you are accomplishing back home! Together, by working in DC and in local Districts, we can, and will, make a difference!

Kimberly Hughes
SSS Program Assistant/WESTOP Legislative & Education Chair
5241 N Maple Avenue, TA35
Fresno, CA 93740-8027
559-278-5725 work/559-470-5782 cell
559-278-1441 fax
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