Put 'First Things First' -- Call Congress and Tell Them to Support America's Workers 1-800-459-1887Congress is debating the federal budget in committee this week and we need you to let your representative and senators know you care about issues that affect working people. ECAP's "First Things First" agenda aims to meet workers' needs and to reject President Bush's crippling budget cuts. Here's how you can help:
STEP 1:
Call 1-800-459-1887 toll-free, to be connected to the U.S. Capitol Switchboard.STEP 2: Make 3 calls -- one to your representative and two to your Senators. Ask to be connected to your Representative's office; then call back and ask for each of your Senators. (If you don't know your Representative's or Senators' names, click
here)
STEP 3: Tell the staffer who answers the phone:
"Hello, my name is _____________. I’m one of ____________’s constituents and I’m calling to urge him/her to put 'First Things First' and pass a budget resolution that includes a significant increase in spending to support working families in our district. {use some or all of the talking points below}
STEP 4: Tell us their response. Using the
form on the right, send us a note letting us know how each call went. Also, let us know if you are affiliated with a specific ECAP partner organization so we can let them know you called on their behalf.
Never called Congress before? Want more info about these issues? Click the "Tell me more" link below before calling:
TALKING POINTS:#1: Tell Them To Increase Funds for Job Training Programs.
Job training programs have been cut for years, and the President's budget would make it far worse, slashing vocational and adult education by 44.5 percent since 2001, taking inflation into account. ECAP believes it's time to rebuild job training programs.
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#2: Tell Them To Protect and Expand Unemployment Programs.
Bush also wants to cut some $77 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance, which provides income support and training for workers who lose their jobs due to outsourcing.
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#3: Tell Them To Invest in Education, Health Care, and Job Training -- Not More Tax Cuts For the Wealthy.
The Bush budget seeks to further cut services for average American families -- including health care, education, and job training -- while giving tax breaks to millionaires. Congress should reject these upside-down priorities.
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Note: The toll-free number is provided by the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization which works for a moral federal budget and a fair minimum wage (www.afsc.org/economic-justice/). AFSC welcomes groups to use the number to support work for a federal budget that reflects values of dignity, equality, and justice, and without linking it to language or websites supporting partisan lobbying or work. http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/support_working_families Related thread...
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