Charlottesville, Va. – Virginia Organizing, in conjunction with national partners Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) and Health Care for America Now (HCAN), is holding a “Week of Actions” across Virginia to call on Congress to protect programs that benefit families, children and seniors.

 

Solutions to the federal debt and deficit problem were offered at the actions and included reducing wasteful spending in Medicare by allowing prescription prices to be negotiated, ending tax loopholes for the wealthiest Americans and making big corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

 

In Fredericksburg, students from University of Massachusetts’ UACT program canvassed the city asking residents to support Social Security by calling members of Congress. In Northern Virginia, activists protested outside of ExxonMobil headquarters in Fairfax and rallied in support of Head Start in Winchester. In Norfolk, Virginians made a visit to U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s office to call on him to support programs that help families.

 

“Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid did not put the U.S. trillions of dollars in debt,” said Bruce Smith of Woodbridge. “Virginia Organizing is calling on Congress to pay off the debt by closing corporate tax loopholes and asking corporations to pay their fair share.”

 

Virginia Organizing leaders are especially passionate against potential cuts to Social Security because it is a program that pays for itself and does not increase the national debt.

“Seniors cannot afford any less,” said Ron Thompson of Norfolk, speaking to the suggestions by elected officials to reduce Social Security payments by changing the way benefits are calculated. “They have already worked and paid into Social Security. We need to find another way,” Thompson said.

In addition to canvassing, protesting and rallying, Virginia Organizing leaders also participated in a video conference with Senator Warner’s Chief of Staff Luke Albee on March 20, 2013. The Senator also received a letter from 11 partner organizations urging him raise revenue instead of making cuts. The letter can be found by clicking here. 

  

Cuts to programs like Head Start, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid hurt people in the most vulnerable economic circumstances, especially children and seniors.

  

To interview a Virginia Organizing spokesperson, please contact Amanda Pohl at 804-337-1912 or amanda@virginia-organizing.org.