Progressive And Labor Leaders To Fast In Protest Of Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON -- Top labor and progressive leaders will fast this coming weekend in a late-stage effort to call attention to the inequity of the sharp cuts being considered in congressional budget negotiations.

The heads of MoveOn.org, Service Employees International Union, Center Community Change, Green For All, Color of Change, Courage Campaign, Presente.org and CREDO announced on Friday morning that they would join a fast started earlier this week by religious activists to spotlight perceived injustices in the proposed federal budget cuts.

Several of the leaders are planning to fast through Monday -- meaning that budget negotiations will most probably outlast the fasting. Others, however, have vowed to go on for weeks, and the groups are asking their members to join on an ongoing basis. The underlying goal, in the end, is not necessarily to derail negotiations -- which have centered around roughly $33 billion in cuts from current spending levels -- but rather to influence what types of programs end up on the chopping block.

“At a time when billionaires are getting massive tax cuts and Wall Street profits are sky high, balancing the budget on the backs of those most vulnerable in America is simply immoral," said Justin Ruben, Executive Director of MoveOn.org. "I am fasting because this budget will leave pregnant women and children hungry, sick people without healthcare, children without pre-school and students without teachers--while giving tax breaks to those who caused this crisis.”

In an interview with Talking Points Memo on Thursday night, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the lead Democrat in the negotiations with House Republicans, echoed the concerns of these groups when he insisted that the party had “made good headway in getting some of their most reckless cuts off the table.”

That said, Democrats have already moved well beyond what was once the self-determined cutoff for negotiations. Speaking several weeks ago, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) insisted that the party had pushed to the limit what it would allow in discretionary spending cuts. That was at $10 billion. Since then, leadership and the White House have agreed to approximately $15 billion more in discretionary cuts.

The fast, which was first announced on Monday, is being led by Ambassador Tony Hall, Jim Wallis, president and CEO of Sojourners, Rev. David Beckmann president of Bread for the World and Ritu Sharma, president of Women Thrive Worldwide.

The list of those joining the fast includes some luminaries in the progressive and labor worlds. Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union; Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change; Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO, Green For All, James Rucker, Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org; Rick Jacobs, Chair and Founder, Courage Campaign; Joaquin Guerra, Executive Director, Presente.org; and Michael Kieschnick, President and CEO, CREDO are all fasting this weekend.

This Post Has Been Updated With Additional Reporting

Comments

[MinerSam]

08:40 PM on 04/02/2011

Depending on what else goes on maybe the Republican controlled Media could find time
to cover this with the attention it needs..

[corwin]

12:44 PM on 04/02/2011

I think we can all agree the Republicans have triumphed if this is considered 'strategy"
So,IQ is important,after all.

[wdw808]

03:40 AM on 04/02/2011

when the unions are protesting i know the cuts are doing good.......

[Trepasky]

07:31 AM on 04/02/2011

Seems so many take advantage of the 8 hour day, fair wage, and other union created values yet deem the unions bad.
It is like folks hating liberals yet still using the Internet (created by liberals)
We all benefited from the efforts of the unions to make our work place safe and reasonable.

[wdw808]

10:20 AM on 04/02/2011

that was decades ago.......not now

[Devaron Namsaar]

11:42 PM on 04/01/2011

I love it when the Congress big boys stumble all over themselves in their foolish attempts to justify the out of control budget which is mostly MILITARY and WEAPONS... The common people are not only asked to pay for the foolishness of these wars and warmongers but also to endure strategic cuts to the few simple services they receive. The politicians have no trouble whatsoever finding billions of dollars to fund and support murder incorporated (the Military) but not a penny can be found to support the sick, hungry, poor and homeless people of our nation.
For shame Congress, you are in the wrong at every turn at every decision and in each new day. You have utterly failed to do the job you were hired to do. You no longer represent the common people but instead grease your bank accounts with "Special Interest Money" completely bypassing and otherwise suppressing the electoral and representative system of the people.
Cut the military budget and you won't have to cut any other part of the national budget... until you do that one simple thing your words and actions will continue to be foul and deceptive. You have fooled no one but yourself.

[BetsySomil]

11:36 PM on 04/01/2011

Perhaps they can come to Madison and spend some time with Matt Schauenburg who on April 2 will be on DAY 28 of a HUNGER STRIKE for worker's rights - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/31/962161/-Hunger-Strike-in-Madison:Day-26

[RMorr2002]

05:36 PM on 04/01/2011

Their other option was to hold their breath until they turned blue!

[sarabono]

05:30 PM on 04/01/2011

Fasting is a good idea since we are in the middle of Lent.

[lpenny]

05:00 PM on 04/01/2011

We need to organize and march on Washington. We need to recall members of congress. We need to pressure our congress to eliminate tax loop holes, subs and other breaks to corporates. We need to translate our disgust into a national movement.

[lah007743]

09:21 PM on 04/01/2011

F&F'd. As a Dem, I am also for recalling Dems that voted against their party and voted with the Repubs and Teasers. ALL of them! EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM. If you are going to run as a Dem, then you need to vote that way and FOR the American's that voted for you, not against them. Its time for us to take back our country. The free ride for our government IS over!

[NHGranite]

04:39 PM on 04/01/2011

I hear they are going only part way, they're all half fast

[elbzee]

04:19 PM on 04/01/2011

As disgusting as it is, when I read this sentense, I felt gratified. I absolutely agree with this: “AT A TIME WHEN BILLIONAIRES ARE GETTING MASSIVE TAX CUTS AND WALL STREET PROFITS ARE SKY HIGH, BALANCING THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF THOSE MOST VULNERABLE IN AMERICA IS SIMPLY IMMORAL,"
SIMPLY IMMORAL, IMMORAL, IMMORAL,IMMORAL, IMMORAL

[corwin]

12:46 PM on 04/02/2011

I often wonder,and wonder if you would enlighten me,why so many folks here capitalize their words.Do you feel it's more cogent? Or emotionally satisfying ? Or is it simply reflexively,and it kind of geta away with you.
I really am interested. Not a lot,but..

[GregFromDenver]

04:07 PM on 04/01/2011

In response the Republicans have announced a $10,000 a plate corporate fundraiser called “Food for those who can afford it.” It will be a multi course feast featuring the rarest and most exotic of endangered species.

[corwin]

12:49 PM on 04/02/2011

Greg,
Denver is endangerd.The Smart people are leaving You're not suggesting they're cannibalizing the Smart People,are you?

[Monica Koziol]

03:40 PM on 04/01/2011

We don't need anymore cuts...we need money from tax-dodgers like Exxon, BoA, GE...who is not bringing good things to life!!!, Chevron, Boeing, Valero Energy, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Conoco-Phillips, and Carnival Cruise lines....PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE and STOP DODGING!

[hhinchi]

04:52 PM on 04/01/2011

F&F

I totally agree with you! Banks and companies having their best results for years, but still do not want to participate in the 'balancing the budget' game. If they at least would hire people again and lend money to small business to get the economy going again.

[corwin]

12:56 PM on 04/02/2011

Monica,
I doubt you've ever heard of Boolean (symbolic) logic.But the word 'fair' can't be represented.(CS Lewis-a philologist-was very good on this)
What you mean is you would like to designate people to pay more money.Not surprisingly,they decline. Perhaps you could suggest a taxation on IQ.It would certainly leave almost all Dems unscathed.(Why Joe Biden should get quite a refund!)
If that doesn't meet your approval,how about a fee on capital leter on HP.There's a lot of money to be made there

[kathye]

03:17 PM on 04/01/2011

Reading the comments, one would think the Republicans were cutting government fat. No, they actually are going after the monies that go for common good like aid to pregnant women, preschool for children, and even AARP. Next they could tax the churches and let the corporations get the breaks. Hunger in America is no myth, and the penalizing of the poor is a crime.
And please don't laugh at those who choose to fast as a statement while Boehner and his cohorts drink $12 martinis and play their $500 rounds of golf.

[hhinchi]

04:55 PM on 04/01/2011

Cutting government fat would be reversing the tax cut for the rich. But they cannot do it. Most of the republicans belong to that group and they would cut into their own flesh.

[kathye]

09:55 PM on 04/01/2011

Unfortunately!

[corwin]

12:59 PM on 04/02/2011

Kathye,
I think asking people not to laugh at ridiculous behavior is a bit much.After all,if you go through life with a target painted on your rear,sooner or later someone will have a slingshot
I do want to ask you what this is supposed to accomplish.

[masquedbunny]

03:10 PM on 04/01/2011

It's not going to work. Fasting is only effective when the opposition has some sense of empathy or shame, and it would appear that congresspeople are mostly sociopaths.

[dmurrah]

03:17 PM on 04/01/2011

I agree. This probably just emboldens the TP bullies even more.

[corwin]

01:04 PM on 04/02/2011

Well,it's hard for anyone to take this seriously.What's next?hair shirts?Tight shoes?
"If you cut my money,I won't wear deodorant?"No wonder you people need a gov't job

[SapientiaAudit]

03:31 PM on 04/01/2011

They're not actually sociopaths. They just have a quasi-sociopathic psychological disposition that allows them to view other humans as their servants and inferiors. Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_dominance_orientation

[polidoc]

03:52 PM on 04/01/2011

this is a much better way of explaining the nearly other human species group, rather than through the paradigms of left vs. right, capitalist vs. socialist.

[masquedbunny]

04:32 PM on 04/01/2011

Interesting. I had never seen this before.