Subject: Emergency Action: Senate voting on Rand Paul Amendment to cut State & USAID today
From: "Jason Gross" <[email-masked]>
To: "Jason Gross" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2017 16:34:13 +0000

Dear Board of Directors,

As part of a just-reached agreement in the Senate to proceed on the Harvey relief/Continuing Resolution/debt ceiling package, the Senate will vote shortly on an amendment by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky that would offset the costs of emergency relief for Hurricane Harvey victims with cuts to the International Affairs Budget.  USGLC has been watching the Paul amendment closely all week, even after initial reports indicated it would likely not reach the floor, and has prepared supporters for the need to take action just in case.

Our plan in action

*        USGLC sent emails to all Senate offices urging them to OPPOSE the Paul amendment, reminding offices that their bosses have voted against these amendments in the past, and is following up with calls.

*        USGLC has activated members of the Leading Globally Matters Locally Campaign to activate their networks and go directly to the Senate to deliver broad opposition to the Paul Amendment.

*        USGLC is mobilizing our state advisory committee members to weigh in with Senators in opposition to the amendment.

How you can help
With so little time before this vote, time is of the essence to reach Senate offices.  Please reach out to your closest connections among Republican Senate offices to deliver your strong opposition to the Paul Amendment.  To help you prioritize contacts, here are ten top priority offices with key staff to reach in the Senate.

*        Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): Tom Hawkins; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-2541

*        Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX): Samantha Leahy; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-5922

*        Senator Tom Crapo (R-ID) - Ken Flanz; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ;  (202) 224-6142

*        Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) - Chris Lydon; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ;  (202) 224-3424

*        Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) - Kurt Kovarik; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-3744

*        Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) - Jennifer Lauterbach; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>; (202) 224-4623

*        Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) - Robert Moore; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-5444

*        Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) - Lauren Stockwell; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-4774

*        Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) -  Klon Kitchen;  [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-4224

*        Senator Luther Strange (R-AL) - John Little; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-4124

*        Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) - Hanz Heinrichs; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-5744

*        Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) - Darrell Owens;  [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> ; (202) 224-4254

TALKING POINTS

*        I urge the Senator to oppose the amendment offered by Senator Paul that would offset critical disaster aid for Hurricane Harvey with cuts to the International Affairs Budget.

*        We stand in solidarity with the people of Texas and Louisiana, and we applaud Congress and the Administration for taking swift action to address the urgent needs of these communities in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

*        However, this amendment would offset urgently needed disaster assistance by cutting more than $15 billion from development and diplomacy programs - an approach that would have devastating consequences for America's global leadership at a time of complex and growing threats overseas from North Korea to ISIS to four famines impacting 30 million people in some of the most unstable countries in the world.

Please contact me directly with any additional questions or concerns,
Jason
Jason J. Gross| Executive Director | [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> | p: (202) 730-4171
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition<http://www.usglc.org/> | 1129 20th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036 | @USGLC<http://www.twitter.com/USGLC