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Today the House returns from a four-day weekend after it narrowly failed to pass legislation needed to continue funding the government. If Congress does not pass the necessary resolutions by the end of the week, the government will shutdown.
At risk are safety-net programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start. Certain foreign aid programs could run out of funding entirely, such as programs serving AIDS orphans in Africa and the global Food for Peace program. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, child poverty in the United States has already more than doubled since 2021, and internationally, extreme child poverty is still higher than pre-pandemic levels. The interruptions to government services can affect everyone, but it will be the vulnerable who will suffer the most.
The Senate has already passed the kind of bills needed to avert a shutdown. Use the form below to look up your Representative in the House to tell them to pass funding legislation that protects the most vulnerable and does not cut services to communities. Consider following up with an email as well.