John,

When the federal government shuts down, so do critical government services. That’s why it’s imperative that Congress vote no later than this Friday, September 30th to pass a short-term government funding bill to prevent a shutdown.

Since a short-term continuing resolution is only a stopgap measure, Congress must begin work now on a full spending bill to make sure people with the lowest incomes and communities of color don’t continue to be disproportionately harmed by everything from our changing economy to the pandemic to climate disasters.

Write to your senators and representative right now and urge them to pass a short term spending bill this week to avert a government shutdown and to begin work immediately on an omnibus spending package that invests in our human needs.

By Friday, Congress must keep government services running and ensure that disaster relief funds are available for the most immediate needs, that Puerto Rico’s Medicaid funding doesn’t start to run out right away, and that more money is available to help people pay their rapidly rising home heating costs. All that prevents a man-made disaster, but it is far from enough.

We must tell Congress to get to work on a full-year omnibus spending bill that invests in affordable housing, health and mental health care, education and training, child care, nutrition, environmental justice and more. Every week without responding to these needs prevents the progress required for sustained prosperity for all.

Puerto Rico and other territories need a long-term multi-year commitment by the federal government to pay a fair and adequate share of their Medicaid expenses, just as states receive.

We need more FEMA funding for hurricane and other disaster relief―including addressing Jackson, Mississippi’s grossly unsafe water system.

And, Congress must provide adequate supplemental funding for COVID and Monkeypox responses.

Send a message directly to your members of Congress and urge them to vote yes on the short term spending bill this week and then immediately get to work on a long-term spending bill to meet the needs of low-income and marginalized communities while shoring up our economy for all.

Thank you for all that you do for all of our communities, including those most in need.

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs