We were honored to have more than 300 young advocates join us in Washington, D.C. this week to lobby Congress to protect health care and food assistance in SNAP and Medicaid.
FCNL’s annual Spring Lobby Weekend kicked off on Saturday, March 22. Before heading to Congress, we joined together for three powerful days of learning, solidarity, and community building.
Participants learned about the power of advocacy, made inspiring art, and heard from experts about the importance of defending SNAP and Medicaid.
“I was so grateful for the wealth of knowledge poured into us,” said one participant. “There is power in numbers and we will see change.”
This advocacy comes at a crucial moment, as proposed cuts in budget reconciliation legislation threaten to strip health care and food assistance from millions in need. Why? In order to give more tax breaks to billionaires and steer more funds toward mass deportation and weapons of war.
In the face of these threatened cuts, “far too few of our legislators are showing the kind of moral courage their constituents and our country need from them right now,” FCNL’s Bridget Moix wrote.
But “moral courage is contagious,” Bridget continued, “and we are beginning to see it spread.” The young advocates who joined us this week demonstrated what living out our values and showing up for our neighbors looks like.
They held more than 100 lobby visits with representatives from more than 30 states, making sure our message was heard loud and clear.
We’re so grateful for our amazing FCNL community and everyone stepping up in this moment.
If you’d like to add your voice, it’s not too late!
Write your members of Congress and help amplify our message.
And consider joining an FCNL Advocacy Team near you!
Elsewhere
What’s being missed about the U.S. strikes in Yemen
The recent U.S. air strikes in Yemen are under fresh attention this week. While the focus has been on the administration’s poor security practices, what’s been overlooked is that these strikes against the Houthis are unauthorized by Congress, immoral, and ineffective.
The strikes killed dozens of civilians, including children, and may be war crimes. Air strikes have not worked in the past and will not work now to reduce violence in the Red Sea. Instead, they only serve to escalate regional violence.
For peace in the region, we need a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The United States can push for this by refusing to send more offensive weapons to Israel. Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) has introduced legislation that would cut off certain weapons in response to Israel’s aggressive actions.
Arrest of International Students is a Threat to All
Following Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest and threatened deportation, the Trump administration has continued to arrest students for their advocacy for Palestine. This past week, Rümeysa Öztürk was snatched off the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts. ICE is holding her at a prison in Louisiana as they prepare to deport her.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this is because of her social activism. He revealed that over 300 students have had their visas revoked, simply for activism.
This is an outrageous violation of Öztürk’s civil liberties that threatens all of us. As Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, put it, “Grabbing someone off the streets, stripping them of their student visa, and detaining them solely based on political viewpoint is an affront to all of our constitutional rights.”
Effective Advocacy in a Chaotic Era
The Trump administration is ignoring the courts and trying to destroy parts of the government it doesn’t like. Congress is moving forward with a budget plan that would slash health care and food assistance for tens of millions of people.
