John,

2023 was one for the books. We kicked off with the longest election for Speaker of the House since 1859, narrowly avoided a debt ceiling catastrophe, witnessed the House vote to remove its Speaker for the first time in history, and narrowly averted a federal government shutdown —twice!

As 2023 draws to a close, we’re celebrating successes in moves to lower the costs of prescription drugs, stronger protections against loss of Medicaid, and help to prevent junk fees that cost consumers billions. We’ve fought for higher human needs funding, and stood against disastrous debt default, government shutdowns, and anti-immigrant restrictions. But there is so much more to do.

Every day on the federal, state, and local levels, decisions are being made that have immense impact on our lives. We are so grateful for supporters like you who made calls, wrote hundreds of thousands of letters, and signed petitions. Our democracy only works if we all participate.

As we head into a new year, we’re also heading into new challenges and opportunities. Congress only has until January 19th and February 2nd before the two funding bills passed by Congress expire—meaning that as soon as Congress returns we will immediately face the prospects of another government shutdown if funding bills are not passed.

House Speaker Johnson is threatening to trigger $70 billion in across-the-board cuts (slashing investments about 9-10%!) to domestic programs if Senate negotiators do not agree to his demands to cut spending below the Senate’s bipartisan spending proposals. That would be more than a 9% cut to education, housing and home heating aid, food assistance for young and old alike, child care, public health and countless other services. These human needs programs need to expand, not to shrink.

Additionally, House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington is threatening to attach the proposed “fiscal commission” to these must-pass spending bills in a blatant attempt to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and more behind closed doors. Plus corporate lobbyists are pushing for more tax breaks—while families need the support of an expanded Child Tax Credit to deal with high costs of making ends meet.

We’re fighting back! There is so much at stake in 2024: protecting funding for human needs programs, defending against cruel cuts, ensuring tax policies focus on the needs of our families, and expanding our voter engagement program for the fast-approaching Presidential and Congressional election. But we can’t do any of this without your support. Make an end-of-year donation of $5 today to help fuel our critical efforts in the New Year.

We know we can do better. President Biden’s 2024 budget proposal had a clear focus on creating a more equitable economic system by increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations and increasing investments in vulnerable rural and urban communities, families, and children.

Not only would this budget reduce the federal deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade, it would do so through the basic fairness of requiring the richest among us to pay taxes through its 25% Billionaire Minimum Income Tax, increased stock buyback tax, taxing investment income at the same rate as income from work, and raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%.

The funding cuts proposed by the extremist faction in the House are cruel and unconscionable. They do nothing except inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on communities that have already suffered so much.

We know that having affordable health care, stable housing, strong nutrition assistance, and quality child care help families thrive. We know that the double forces of racism and poverty are holding us back and are exacerbating the inequity of health, wealth, and education outcomes.

Make an end-of-year donation of $5 today as we continue our fight for fair and equitable policies in the New Year.

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From all of us here at the Coalition on Human Needs, we wish you a season of joy, peace, and love, and all the best in the New Year.

Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, Coalition on Human Needs