June 13, 2011 / Washington, DC -- On Lobby Day, Bread analysts provided an issues briefing on the current status of foreign assistance reform legislation, insights from key lawmakers working on the issue, and tips on effective ways to communicate with Congress.

1. Bread for the World’s
Lobby Day 2011

2. The Ask:
Create a circle of protection around
funding for programs for hungry and
poor people in the United States and
abroad.

3. Why the budget?
We’ve accomplished so
much in the last 30 years …
• Globally, 400 million
fewer people living in
extreme poverty since 1990.
• In the last year, 114,000
infants around the world
were born HIV-free thanks
to antiretroviral medications.
• U.S. infant mortality rate
has fallen dramatically from
20 deaths per 1,000 to 7.
It could all be jeopardized in
the next 2 months.

4. Why are we working on the
budget?
• Negotiations going
on right now
• Prime time for your
voice
• Vote within the next
month

5. How did we get here?
1. Deficit concerns are
real
2. Deficit problems not
due to programs for
poor and hungry
people
3. Choices: we can
reduce poverty and
reduce our deficits

6. The Debt Ceiling Vote
• The vote must pass
• Economic consequences if
it is not raised
• But the big question:
What will be attached?

7. The Ask:
Create a circle of protection
around funding for programs for
hungry and poor people in the
United States and abroad.

8. Create a circle of protection around
funding for programs for hungry and
poor people in the United States and
abroad.
Plus:
1. Oppose caps on overall federal spending
2. Exempt programs for hungry and poor
people from cuts
3. Consider all tools for deficit reduction

9. I. Oppose caps on overall federal
spending
• Ignores current realities
• Government can’t
respond to spikes in need
• Requires massive
spending cuts

10. A cap on overall federal spending
=
deep domestic cuts
SNAP cuts:
• 8 million people lose
benefits, or
• Family of 4 see monthly
benefit cut by $147
WIC Cuts:
•Could see 325,000 -
475,000 low-income
women and children lose
their WIC benefits

11. A cap on overall federal spending
=
deep international cuts
• 4 million children each
year could die or be stunted
from lack of access to
nutritious foods
• 14 million people will be
cut off from emergency food
aid each year
•15 million fewer people
treated for malaria each year
• 400,000 people requiring
treatment for HIV/AIDS would
be turned away each year

12. II. Exempt programs for hungry
and poor people from cuts
• Historical
precedent over
the past 30 years
• Moral value we
agree upon

13. II. Exempt programs for hungry
and poor people from cuts
• Exempt on the front end:
• No specific cuts to programs for hungry
and poor people in actual proposals
• Exempt on the back end:
• Triggers must exempt programs for
hungry and poor people

14. III: Consider all tools for deficit
reduction
• We can reduce our
deficits and maintain
a commitment to
ending hunger and
poverty
• But revenues must
be a part of the
solution

15. Review:
Create a circle of protection
around funding for programs for
hungry and poor people in the
United States and abroad.
Plus:
I. Oppose caps on overall
federal spending
II. Exempt programs for
hungry and poor people
from cuts
III.Consider all tools for
deficit reduction

16. Fighting hunger and poverty
is good for the economy
• Domestic low-income
programs support
the economy
o $1 SNAP = $1.73 in
economic activity
o $1 Unemployment
Benefits = $1.63 in
economic activity
o $1 refundable tax
credits = $1.26 in
economic activity

17. Fighting hunger and poverty
is good for the economy
Foreign assistance builds trade capacity
• About 50% of U.S.
exports go to developing
countries and 1 in 5 jobs
in the U.S. are tied to
trade.
• For every 10% increase in
U.S. exports abroad, there
is 7% decrease in the U.S.
unemployment rate.

18. Fighting hunger and poverty is good for
national security
Foreign Assistance saves lives and
promotes stability
• For every 5 percent
decline in a country’s
income growth, there is a 10
percent increase in the
likelihood of violent conflict.
• The U.S. provided
democracy and governance
assistance to 36 of the 57
nations that successfully
made the transition to
democratic government
during 1980-1995.

19. Review:
Create a circle of protection
around funding for programs for
hungry and poor people in the
United States and abroad.
Plus:
I. Oppose caps on overall
federal spending
II. Exempt programs for
hungry and poor people
from cuts
III.Consider all tools for
deficit reduction

20. Preparing for Pushback
• Deficits too big. We must
cut everything.
• These programs have
grown too much.
• Anti-hunger programs are
not effective and create
government
dependency.
• If we exempt these
programs, we will have
to exempt all programs.

21. Pushback:
“Our deficits are too big.
Everything needs to be cut.”
• These programs are
not creating our deficits
• They are a small
portion of the budget
• As we recover from the
recession, need
remains very high

22. Pushback:
“Programs for hungry and poor
people have grown to out of
control levels in recent years.”
• Worse recession
since Great
Depression.
• Program growth to
meet spikes in
need.
• As need
falls, programs will
shrink.

23. Pushback:
“Programs for hungry and poor
people have grown to out of
control levels in recent years.”
• International Poverty-
Focused Development
Assistance is only
0.6% of the budget.
• This small amount of
our budget
• saves lives
• promotes stability
• future economic
well-being

24. Pushback:
“These programs don’t reduce
hunger or poverty. They just create
government dependency.”
Promoting Economic Mobility:
• Most only receive EITC for 1
or 2 years before moving onto
higher income brackets and
paying more in taxes
• Federal job training programs
• Increase employment rates
by 10% points
• Raise average quarterly
earnings by $800
• Use less public assistance

25. Pushback:
“These programs don’t reduce hunger
or poverty. They just create
government dependency.”
• 1.3 million people now
have access to clean water
• Millennium Challenge
Corporation project raised
Honduran farmers’
purchasing power by 87%
• A well nourished child has a
30% higher income
potential over their
lifetime
• Vaccines save 3 million
lives each year

26. Pushback:
“If we exempt these programs we
will end up having to exempt all
programs.”
• Exempting anti-poverty
programs didn’t prevent
deficit reduction in the
past.
• These programs are a small
portion of the budget.
• Protecting programs for poor
and hungry people is not a
tough choice. It is a moral
imperative.

27. The Ask:
Create a circle of protection
around funding for programs for
hungry and poor people in the
United States and abroad.
Plus:
I. Oppose caps on overall federal
spending
II. Exempt programs for
hungry and poor people from
cuts
III. Consider all tools for deficit
reduction

28. Make sure to thank the member or
staff for their time.
Please, remember to:
Fill out the
Congressional Visit Report Form!
Invite staff to our reception tonight at
St. Mark’s from 5:30-7pm

29. Create a circle of protection
around funding for programs for
hungry and poor people in the
United States and abroad.
I. Oppose caps on overall
federal spending
II. Exempt programs for
hungry and poor people
from cuts
III.Consider all tools for
deficit reduction
Now let’s go do some
advocacy!