This week, 60 Senators will be needed to overcome a conservative filibuster and prevent millions of people from losing their jobs, exhausting unemployment benefits, going without food, and becoming homeless. 

Call your Senators.  Tell them its critical they support an economic recovery package to prevent deepening hardship and to reverse the recession before they adjourn. If they fail to act now nothing will be done until at least January. 

Call toll-free:  800-473-6711 

Please call anytime between now and November 19 - the sooner the better.

Here's what to do:

Call the toll-free number; you'll be connected to the Capitol Switchboard. 

Ask to speak to either Senator Byrd or Rockefeller & Tell them: 

 I'm a constituent, and want Senator ___ to know that our state desperately needs an economic recovery package that includes help for people being hurt now, such as:  unemployment benefits, food stamps, state aid to prevent health care and other cuts, jobs to allow energy efficient rebuilding, and help for people in danger of losing their homes.  We need your vote for recovery that works - for our people and for the economy!

Then call back and ask to speak to your state's other Senator.

Your Senators need to hear that this is not the time for partisanship.  Conservative and liberal economists alike are saying that the federal government must spend money to overcome the dangerous cycle of job losses and drastically reduced consumer spending.  They also tell us that the most effective way to break that cycle targets aid to low-income people - such as unemployment benefits and food stamps (now called SNAP). 

Congress will be in session during the week of November 17.  They can act to prevent the recession from getting worse; they can provide for a shared recovery. 

If they fail to act, precious time will be lost that will hurt in two serious ways: 

• From now until January, people will face loss of all that is most basic:  jobs, homes, food, health care.  As always, people with the lowest incomes face the most serious threats.
• Failure to invest in rebuilding our infrastructure, preventing state cuts, creating needed jobs and preventing loss of homes will make the recession deeper and longer.  Every week counts in getting our economy back on track.

There is more information about essential components for an effective recovery package in Towards Shared Recovery:  http://www.chn.org/pdf/2008/sharedrecovery103108.pdf

But you don't have to be an expert about every aspect, or try to mention every item.  Emphasize that helping people in need is long overdue.

This toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization which works for economic justice and peace (www.afsc.org/EconomicJustice/US). 

AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the number in support of non-partisan work for policies that benefit the common good and without linking it to a website soliciting donations or actions which support partisan lobbying or work.

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