New York Organizational Sign-On Letter to Our Congressional Delegation: Avoid Debt Default and Harmful Social Program Cuts
TO: Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and US Representatives from New York
It's time for New York organizations and businesses and our leaders to speak up and speak out to our US Senators and Representatives!
Add YOUR group's name and voice to our "Do your job -- Stop Debt Default!" campaign!
Unless Congress acts immediately, the US government will soon default on our debt payments, causing our state and national economy to crash, the global economy to become unstable, and millions of everyday New Yorkers and our families to suffer economic loss and hardships. Some radical politicians are blocking legislative action unless they get their way to impose severe spending cuts on social programs that help millions of everyday people with our basic daily needs. They are holding out just to protect and extend tax cuts for large corporations and the ultra-rich.
It's time for congressional factions to stop this nonsense and their political hardball games, and take action together NOW to stop a debt default catastrophe!
Some members of New York’s congressional delegation are fighting hard to prevent debt default and avoid harmful cuts to social programs. We stand with them, and salute them for their efforts and leadership -- "we've got your back!"
However, other members remain intransigent, and are blocking agreement between the Senate, House, and President. We call on them to reasonably negotiate with their colleagues, and to prioritize the basic needs of everyday people over the excesses of those who already have more than enough yet don’t contribute their fair share.
New York organizations and businesses are invited and urged to sign-on to the letter below.
Initial deadline is Mon. May 22, with rolling daily deadlines for additional sign-ons thereafter.
Letter Initiators [list in formation]:
- Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York
- Citizen Action of New York
- Empire State Indivisible
- Health Care for America-New York State Network
- Housing Works
- Medicaid Matters New York
- Metro New York Health Care for All
- New York State Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
- New York Statewide Senior Action Council
__________________________________________________________________________
FYI -- List of US Reps. from New York (find your Rep. here):
- Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16, Westchester)
- Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-9, Brooklyn)
- Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (NY-4, Nassau)
- Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13, Bronx & Manhattan)
- Rep. Andrew Garbarino (NY-2, Suffolk)
- Rep. Daniel Goldman (NY-10, Brooklyn & Manhattan)
- Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26, Buffalo & Niagara Falls)
- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8, Brooklyn)
- Rep. Nicholas LaLota (NY-1, Suffolk)
- Rep. Nicholas Langworthy (NY-23, Southern Tier & Western NY)
- Rep. Michael Lawler (NY-17, Hudson Valley)
- Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11, Brooklyn & Staten Island)
- Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY-5, Queens)
- Rep. Grace Meng (NY-6, Queens)
- Rep. Marcus Molinaro (NY-19, Eastern NY)
- Rep. Joseph Morelle (NY-25, Monroe & Orleans Counties)
- Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-12, Manhattan)
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14, Bronx & Queens)
- Rep. Patrick Ryan (NY-18, Hudson Valley)
- Rep. George Santos (NY-3, Nassau & Queens)
- Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY-21 (North Country)
- Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24, Central & Western NY)
- Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20, Capital District)
- Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15, Bronx)
- Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-7, Brooklyn & Queens)
- Rep. Brandon Williams (NY-22, Central NY)
Sponsored by
To:
TO: Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and US Representatives from New York
From:
[Your Name]
"Do your job -- stop debt default NOW!"
We, the undersigned organizations and businesses representing and/or serving millions of New Yorkers and Americans, call upon you to immediately undertake the following legislative actions before the end of this month:
1. Preserve the full faith and credit of the United States. Avoid defaulting on federal debt payments, so as to prevent crashing our national economy and wreaking havoc on the global economy. Such a situation would be catastrophic for millions of everyday New Yorkers in many ways.
2. Authorize the federal debt ceiling to be raised by an amount sufficient for at least the next two years (if not longer), so that Congress can govern and legislate for the rest of this session.
3. Undertake any negotiations about lowering federal spending separately, ideally as part of the regular, annual congressional budget process. Any agreement to create budgetary savings should not do anything that worsens a person or family’s poverty, and/or access to health care and food.
4. Make sure that spending keeps pace with the need for programs that help everyday people and families meet their basic needs, and reject any new bureaucratic barriers to such programs. Merely flat-funding spending at current levels is a de-facto spending cut.
5. Generate sufficient revenue for federal government spending by requiring all people, families, and corporations to pay what they owe in taxes, and pay their fair share of taxes based upon their resources and ability to do so.