The Amp

Next Monday, March 11, the Trump administration will release the first of two parts of its proposed 2020 budget to Congress. Its a statement on the president's priorities: namely cuts to basic-needs programs and huge increases for national defense. Advocates are concerned that spending caps could mean 10 percent reductions to domestic programs for low-income people. There's also concern that the 2020 Census will not receive adequate funding to count everyone in the country, a vital element in state and federal funding. Discuss the proposed budget with the values of Community and Economic Security.

• Take Action: Participate in the Coalition on Human Needs’ webinar on March 14
• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About Economic Justice and Census Data: A Fair and Accurate Count; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Five Things to Look for in the 2020 Trump Budget and New Budget Deal Needed to Avert Cuts, Invest in National Priorities; Coalition on Human Needs’ Talks and Speculation Kick Off FY20 Budget Season;
• Hashtags: #TrumpBudget and #HandsOffSNAP

There's now less than a month left to comment on the Trump administration's proposed rule on SNAP reporting requirements. 750,000 people could lose food assistance if the Trump administration gets its way. Cite the values of Economic Security and Community when discussing this proposal.

• Take action: Join the tweet chats on Friday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 12 and the tweetstorm on Thursday, March 14 (more below). Also encourage your networks to submit comments via platforms by Center for American Progress, FRAC and Feeding America.
• Messaging and communication tools: Center for American Progress’ Hands Off SNAP Digital Toolkit and Hands Off SNAP Key Messages; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice; The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Resources on SNAP and Work or Resources on Time Limits; and Trump SNAP Proposal Would Cost Many of Nation’s Poorest Their Food Aid; ; Center for American Progress’ #HandsOffSNAP: Don’t Let Trump Take Food Away from Struggling Workers and Families
• Hashtag: #HandsOffSNAP

March is Women's History Month and this year’s theme is “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence.” Use this hook to discuss the vital role that women have played in the struggle for racial and economic justice. Be sure to cite the values of Equality and Voice.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda's Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice and The Case of the Cultural Influencers: Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Kimmel, and #MeToo; WORLD Channel's #ShatterTheLens programming campaign and Women's History Month one-pager
• Hashtags: #metoo; #timesup; #womenshistorymonth; #ShatterTheLens; and #YesAllWomen

It’s also National Professional Social Work Month when social workers and their supporters educate the public about the invaluable contributions of the profession. Use this hook to discuss the values of Community and Economic Security

• Messaging and communication tools: The National Association of Social Workers' National Professional Social Work Month resources; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice
• Hashtags: #ElevateSocialWork; #SocialWorkMonth; #SWMonth; and #NASW

This week, JP Morgan announced that it will stop financially backing private prison companies, which detain 75 percent of all immigrant detainees for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a timely action, activists in New Jersey will march on Ash Wednesday to oppose immigration detention in the their state (as they have done for the past 23 years). The protestors will stop at the offices of elected officials to demand that they “start providing oversight with an eye toward ending New Jersey’s county jail contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” Join the discussion by citing the values of Community, Economic Security, and Voice

• Take Action: Share the Center for Popular Democracy’s Corporate Backers of Hate platform to tell other companies to stop profiting from detaining immigrants. If you’re in NJ, join the march here.
• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Immigration Policy Solutions: Due Process and Fair Treatment Under the Law and Promote Fairness at the Intersection of Immigration and Criminal Justice; Center for Popular Democracy’s Bankrolling Oppression: How Wall Street Companies Finance the Private Prison and Immigrant Detention Industry; Detention Watch Network's ICE Lies: Public Deception, Private Profit and Fatal Neglect: How ICE Ignores Deaths in Detention;
• Hashtags: #EndDetention; #DefundHate; and #BackersOfHate

Today is the 54th anniversary of the first march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights in Alabama. The #SelmaJubilee reenacted the march this past weekend. One of its leaders, Rep. John Lewis, continues his fight for civil rights in Congress. Use this anniversary to talk about the renewed need to protect voting rights and fight racial injustice. Cite the values of Equality and Voice.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Ten Lessons for Talking About Race, Racism and Racial Justice; National Voting Rights Museum and Institute’s Selma Movement; Equal Justice Initiative’s History of Racial Injustice Calendar Highlights; Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights’ Support H.R. 1, the For the People Act
• Hashtags: #SelmaJubilee; #SelmaMarch; and #votingrights

On International Women’s Day, women across the world will march under the theme of #BalanceForBetter. Use this event to discuss the intersectionality of gender and poverty.

• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda's Ten Tips for Putting Intersectionality into Practice; The Case of the Cultural Influencers: Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Kimmel, and #MeToo; and  The Opportunity Survey: Understanding the Roots of Attitudes on Inequality
• Hashtags: #BalanceForBetter; #IWD; #IWD2019; and #internationalwomensday

From 1-2pm EST, the Center for American Progress, in collaboration with MomsRising, will hold a #HandsOffSNAP tweet storm on how women, children and families would be be effected by cuts to food assistance resulting from the administration’s proposed work requirements for SNAP recipients.

• Take action: Join the tweet chat and encourage your networks to submit comments via platforms by Center for American Progress, FRAC and Feeding America.
• Messaging and communication tools: Center for American Progress’ Hands Off SNAP Digital Toolkit and Hands Off SNAP Key Messages; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice; The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Resources on SNAP and Work or Resources on Time Limits
• Hashtags: #HandsOffSNAP and #FoodFri

The Trump administration will release the first of two parts of its proposed 2020 budget to Congress. See messaging advice above in Emerging Issues. 

From 1-2pm EST, the Center for American Progress will hold a #HandsOffSNAP tweet chat to raise awareness and drive public comments on the proposed SNAP rule. This week’s theme is Criminal Justice/Reentry/People with Criminal Records. Tweet chats will continue every Tuesday until the April 2 public comment deadline.

• Take action: Join the tweet chat and encourage your networks to submit comments via platforms by Center for American Progress, FRAC and Feeding America.
• Messaging and communication tools: Center for American Progress’ Hands Off SNAP Digital Toolkit and Hands Off SNAP Key Messages; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice; The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Resources on SNAP and Work or Resources on Time Limits
• Hashtag: #HandsOffSNAP

From 1-2pm EST, the Center for American Progress will hold a #HandsOffSNAP tweet storm on Criminal Justice/Reentry/People with Criminal Records in relation to the administration’s proposed SNAP rule on work requirements.

• Take action: Join the tweet chat and encourage your networks to submit comments via platforms by Center for American Progress, FRAC and Feeding America.
• Messaging and communication tools: Center for American Progress’ Hands Off SNAP Digital Toolkit and Hands Off SNAP Key Messages; The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking about Economic Justice; The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ Resources on SNAP and Work or Resources on Time Limits
• Hashtag: #HandsOffSNAP

At 2pm EST, the Coalition on Human Needs will hold a webinar, “The Trump Budget: What You Need to Know,” which will cover key takaways from the Trump budget and the work that lies ahead for better alternatives in Congress. “Advocates need to know how to prevent those cuts, how to fight against cuts to basic needs programs like Medicaid or SNAP, and how to advance real improvements in the services we need,” organizers write.

• Take Action: Participate or get materials by registering for the webinar.
• Messaging and communication tools: The Opportunity Agenda’s Talking About Economic Justice and Census Data: A Fair and Accurate Count; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ New Budget Deal Needed to Avert Cuts, Invest in National Priorities; Coalition for Human Needs’ Talks and Speculation Kick Off FY20 Budget Season
• Hashtags: #TrumpBudget and #HandsOffSNAP

On this day in 1990, at least 16 activists were arrested in Washington, D.C. during a protest where people were demanding that the federal government pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Today, provisions of the ADA are under attack. Activists are also pushing back against the “subminimum wage” for disabled people. Discuss this anniversary and current activism by citing the values of Voice and Equality.

• Messaging and communication tools: Rooted in Rights’ Bottom Dollars video series and recent #EqualPay4OurWork Twitter chat; Center for American Progress' Why It’s Time to Launch the Disability Justice Initiative”
• Hashtags: #HandsOffMyADA and #EqualPay4OurWork