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Media Questions & Answersfor Speak Outs

General Notes: If a reporter asks you a question and you dont know the answer, say so.

You can take the reporters contact information and get back to them with an answer, or,if its about details of the budget process or content, you can tell them that you arent anexpert on the budget, youre just a concerned citizen opposed to cuts in vital programslike Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans. Your materials will include a fact sheetthat you can share with reporters who want more information.

Also, these answers are repetitive. Thats because you need to repeat your message overand over to make sure the media includes your sound bite.

Who are you?

Were a group of Move On members and other constituents of [your target: e.g. Rep

Jones or Senator Brown] who are urging [him/her] to oppose the Republicans reverseRobin Hood budget plan. Theyre pushing for as much as $50 billion in cuts for the poorand middle class to pay for $70 billion in tax breaks for the richits robbing the poor topay back the rich.

Who is MoveOn?

MoveOn.org Political Action is a non-profit organization promoting a progressive agendathrough internet advocacy and political organizing. With over 3.3 million membersacross Americafrom carpenters to stay-at-home moms to business leaderswe provideordinary Americans with a real voice in the political process.

What are the cuts the Republicans are proposing?The Republican leadership is proposing more than $50 billion in cuts in vital services forthe poor and middle class, including Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans to pay for$70 billion in tax breaks for the rich. Its reverse Robin Hood economicsrobbing thepoor to pay back the rich.

How would you propose to balance the budget instead (or to pay for the costs of

Katrina)? The cuts in vital services arent going to pay for the deficit or Katrinatheyre going to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy. In fact, this budget explodes thedeficit. Im not an expert on the budget, but I know that I dont want to see poor andmiddle-class Americans left with empty plates this Thanksgiving in order to fund more

tax breaks for the very wealthy. According to a recent poll*, most Americans are alsoopposed to the Republican budget plan. Were urging [your target: e.g. Rep Jones orSenator Brown] to vote No on the budget reconciliation bill if it includes cuts to theseprograms.

*If a reporter asks about the poll: In October, Peter Hart's polling firm asked respondentsif they believed cutting Medicaid and like programs by $35 billion (the GOP's targetedcut had not yet risen to $50 billion) and cutting taxes by $70 billion was the right or

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wrong priority. By a margin of 67 percent to 24 percent, the respondents said it waswrong. The poll is referenced here: "Gunning for the poor" Harold Myerson Op-EdColumn in the Washington Post, 10/19/05

Isnt this really just an attack on the Republican Party by a liberal organization?

No. We oppose these cuts because people in our community, like [Speaker Name]depend on these programs to feed and care for their families and to build a better future.In fact, in our state alone, [number] people rely on Medicaid for their health care,[number] people use food stamps to feed their families, and [number] wouldnt be able toafford a college education without student loans. We want to make sure Americansarent left with empty plates this Thanksgiving. Were urging [your target: e.g. RepJones or Senator Brown] to vote No on the budget reconciliation bill if it includes cutsto these programs.

Are you saying youre opposed to tax cuts?

Were definitely opposed to slashing funding for critical services for the poor and

middle-class in order to pay for tax breaks for the very wealthy. Its a reverse RobinHood planrobbing the poor to pay back the rich. In our state alone, [number] peoplerely on Medicaid for their health care, [number] people use food stamps to feed theirfamilies, and [number] wouldnt be able to afford a college education without studentloans. Were urging [your target: e.g. Rep Jones or Senator Brown] to vote No onthe budget reconciliation bill if it includes cuts to these programs.

Have you had any response from the Rep?

Not yet, but the Republicans reverse Robin Hood budget is very unpopular and evensome moderate Republicans oppose the plan thats why Republicans have had to delaythe vote so many times in Congress. Were hoping [your target: e.g. Rep Jones orSenator Brown] will do the right thing and vote No on the budget reconciliation bill ifit includes cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans. We urge [your target: e.g.Rep Jones or Senator Brown] not to leave Americans with empty plates thisThanksgiving.

Who are the Republicans opposing this plan?

A group of moderate Republicans in both the House and the Senate have either votedagainst or spoken against these proposed cutsthats why theyve had to delay the finalvote.

Hasnt the budget vote already happened?

Definitely not. The final vote on the "budget reconciliation bill", which reconciles thedifferent budgets passed by the Senate and the House, has not occurred yet. The finalvote is likely to occur after Thanksgiving. Theres still time for [your target: e.g. RepJones or Senator Brown] to do the right thing by voting No on the budgetreconciliation bill if it includes cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans. We urge[your target: e.g. Rep Jones or Senator Brown] not to leave Americans with emptyplates this Thanksgiving.

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How can you say people will be going hungry this Thanksgiving? The vote might not

even happen by then? Aren't you being alarmist? Or What's the connection

between the budget and Thanksgiving?

The Republican budget plan would cut over $50 billion from programs like Medicaid,food stamps, and student loans. What does it say about our leaders' values that they're

trying to cut these essential programs during Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is aboutsharing our blessings with the communitybut this budget is about Congress taking fromthe community and giving to their cronies. And if these cuts go into effect, people in ourcommunity will quite literally be looking at empty plates as a result.

Can you explain what these plates symbolize? Or Can you explain what this table

symbolizes?

Plates: This budget will leave Americans with absolutely nothing to be thankful for thisThanksgiving. The Republican budget plan would cut over $50 billion from programslike Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans. If these cuts go into effect, people in ourcommunity will quite literally be looking at empty plates as a result.

Table with empty plates and one full plate:This budget will leave Americans withabsolutely nothing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is about sharingour blessings with the community. But as you can see from this table, this budget is aboutRepublicans heaping the blessings on their rich cronies and leaving the rest of us withcrumbs. The Republican budget plan would cut over $50 billion from programs likeMedicaid, food stamps, and student loans. If these cuts go into effect, people in ourcommunity will quite literally be looking at empty plates as a result.

Where did you get those numbers about people in our state dependent on these

programs?

MoveOn compiled the numbers from three different sources: the Democratic staff of theEducation and Workforce Committee, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and theNational Priorities Project. I can provide you and anyone else who is interested withlinks to the information after I take any additional questions.

Then be sure to find that reporter at the end so you can provide this list of links to them:

You can find the numbers for every state on MoveOns site at:

http://political.moveon.org/budgetaction/state.html

The student loan number is the number of new student loans taken out by students in ourstate in fiscal year 2004. These numbers come from the Democratic staff of theEducation and Workforce Committee.

If you want to find out more about the Committee their website is:http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/welcome.shtml

http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/welcome.shtmlhttp://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/welcome.shtml

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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provided the number of Medicaid enrollees inour state as of fiscal year 2002 (the most recent number available). To find out moreabout the Center: www.cbpp.org.

The National Priorities Project provided the number of people who relied on food stamps

in fiscal year 2004 for our state. Their website is www.nationalpriorities.org.

Do you think we should impeach George Bush? Do you think the President should

fire Karl Rove? Or any other off-topic question.

That's an important question, but that's not what we're here to talk to about. Today, wereall here to urge [Rep or Senator Last Name] to oppose the reverse Robin Hood budget.[Total number using all three programs in your state] in our state alone rely on Medicaidto keep their family healthy, or on food stamps to keep food on the table, or on studentloans to build a better future. Congress will have their final vote on the federal budgetany day and we want to make sure [Rep or Senator Last Name] doesnt vote to leave thepeople of [Your state] with empty plates this Thanksgiving.

http://www.cbpp.org/http://www.national/http://www.national/http://www.cbpp.org/