Hi again, friend:

I sent a critically important message earlier this month, and I wanted to make sure you had the chance to take action and make your voice heard.

The federal government will shut down tonight unless President Trump and Republican leaders come to the negotiating table and compromise with Democrats to stop rising health care costs and ensure the federal government can spend the money Congress has approved for the American people. Far-right members of Congress have already turned their backs on children, senior citizens, families, and communities across the country by passing Trump’s Big Ugly Budget Bill, which gutted food and health care programs when they’re needed most.

I need your help to demand they do right by the American people.

Friend, act now: DEMAND that Congress undo the Big Ugly Budget Bill’s harms and reject any further cuts to democracy and basic needs programs.

Many members of Congress have chosen to prioritize massive tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy over the health and lives of the constituents they pledged to protect with the passage of the Big Ugly Budget Bill. We’re deeply disheartened by this, and we know you are too. That’s why it’s so important that you let Congress know that we call on them to demand they stop the looming health care crisis and fully fund critical programs that save lives.

Thank you for all you do,

— Theresa

Fwd:
From: Southern Poverty Law Center
Date: Sept. 9, 2025
Subject: 🚨 Urgent: Stop Congress from cutting basic needs programs
To: [email protected]

Friend,

I’m Theresa, and I work to stop policies that push people deeper into poverty.

Families across the country are working hard to stay afloat, paying more for everything from groceries to rent to health care. Yet, in July, our Republican-led Congress rushed through a reckless budget bill that cut hundreds of billions from Medicaid and SNAP — all to give massive tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy.

They turned their backs on children, senior citizens, families, and communities across the country when they needed these programs most. I urgently need your help to stop them. Take action now to stop Congress from cutting basic needs programs.

The Big Ugly Budget bill is a disaster: It’s hitting us hard. But we can still take action to demand accountability and protect funding for critical programs and services. Congress will vote to continue to fund the government before its Sept. 30 deadline, and through these bills, we have the power to minimize harm.

Friend, I need your help before the deadline. Take action now: DEMAND that Congress undo the Big Ugly Budget bill’s harms and reject any further cuts to democracy and basic needs programs.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi are home to some of the highest rates of poverty, hunger and poorest health outcomes in the nation. Across these five states, over half a million people will lose some degree of food assistance and approximately 3.6 million people will lose health care from Medicaid cuts and rising health care premiums.

Congress chose to gut health care and take away food assistance in order to fund sweeping tax breaks for the ultra wealthy. With this upcoming federal funding fight, lawmakers must:

• Support food security and address rising health care costs — including health care premiums and Medicaid — as a condition for supporting federal funding.

• Block attempts to further cut key programs, such as the proposed 27% cut to Title I funding for low-income schools.

• Ensure our elections are fully funded so all eligible voters can access the ballot.

Help stop the effects of this disastrous, ugly budget bill. Take action today and demand Congress fully fund critical programs and services.

Thank you for continuing our fight for justice.

Sincerely,

Theresa Lau
Senior Policy Counsel, Eradicating Poverty
Southern Poverty Law Center