The Delta Grassroots Caucus (DGC) is a broad coalition of grassroots leaders in the eight-state Delta region. DGC is also a founding partner of the Economic Equality Caucus,
which advocates for economic equality across the USA.

Deadline Is April 17 for Registration, Group Hotel for Economic Equality event in DC, May 17-18

Posted on April 07, 2017 at 11:59 AM

The deadline for early registration and group hotel is April 17, Monday, close of business for Economic Equality Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on May 17-18. For those requiring airfare, of course you will get a much cheaper airfare if you make reservations today rather than later.

The group hotel Hilton Garden Inn at Reagan Airport (703) 920-8600 will likely not have any rooms if you call after the April 17 deadline and if there are you will not get the group discount rate of $199 (a low rate by springtime Washington, DC standards) for the EEC/Delta Caucus group.

REGISTRATION

After April 17, late registration fees are higher.

You register by sending in the early registration fees. Early Registration fees are $125 for attending both days of the conference or $100 for those who have paid their annual dues

GROUP DISCOUNTS: We will offer registration fee group discounts depending on the size of the group. For a group of five or more attendees the fees will be reduced to $75, and down to $50 for a group of 10.

You can pay the registration fees in two ways:

Go to the website and use the PayPal process at the top of the site at www.mdgc.us

Or

Send a check by mail. Please make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

GROUP HOTEL:

To get the reduced group rate of $199 for the night of Wednesday May 17, please call the Hilton Garden Inn at Reagan airport at (703) 920-8600 and say you are with the Economic Equality Caucus/Delta Caucus group.

I. KEY ISSUES

Severe proposed budget cuts in the initial Trump administration budget statement have generated widespread concerns in both parties. Our partners are strongly supportive of full funding for USDA nutrition and rural development programs, LIHEAP, EDA, AmericCorps, medical research, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and other regional commissions. No program is perfect but all of those have stood the test of time and are highly beneficial for working American families.

This is bipartisan and we welcome all points of view. Key issues will job creation at good wages and infrastructure investments, health care for underserved populations, public education, hunger and nutrition programs, civil rights/diversity at the bipartisan Economic Equality Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, May 17-18, 2017.

We are inviting officials of President Trump’s administration, Members of Congress from both parties, and grassroots economic and community development advocates for a dialogue on Capitol Hill. Whatever your views are regarding the Trump administration, come and make your voices heard in our nation’s capital. Key issues include:

–The proposed $1 trillion program of investment for infrastructure to create jobs and improve our deteriorating infrastructure.

This is unusual in today’s contentious political environment in that both parties have pledged support for it, but we have to press them to follow through on the promises in a way that broadly benefits the economy. The President promised to do this, and now we need to press him and his administration to follow through.

Health care: The Affordable Care Act has provided health insurance to millions who never had it before. The initial effort to repeal it failed as we all know, but we want to keep the focus on this vital issue.

Education: a strong public education system and affordability for college are essential for a brighter economic future: If you have questions or concerns about what Trump’s controversial Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will do for education in America, come to DC and express support for a strong public education system.

Hunger and nutrition, rural economic development: USDA’s SNAP, school meals, WIC and other hunger safety net programs are vital for millions of Americans every day; agriculture is a major part of the economy still, and the Rural Development programs are vital for housing, small business, and rural infrastructure. Convey to the new USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue your views on these programs.

Diversity/civil rights: We are a diverse grassroots coalition including women, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, rural America, and we support economic, racial and gender equality. If you are concerned about what the Trump administration might mean for diversity in America, come to DC for the EEC conference and make your voices heard.

Key populations and regions we are joining forces with are the Greater Delta Region from Illinois and Missouri to New Orleans, Appalachia, the Southwest Border, parts of the Midwest, New York, inner cities, and the Mid-Atlantic region of Virginia/Maryland/Washington, DC, which overall is relatively prosperous but also has areas of economic distress. Economic inequality is a national problem today.

“Double whammy” against the Virginia/Washington, DC/Maryland region posed by the Trump budget: The Washington Post described the Trump budget as a double whammy against this region due to the cuts to vital safety net programs that affects the entire country, but compounded by the massive proposed federal government layoffs that will be disproporionately harmful to this region due to the large number of federal government employees there.

The great majority of Members of Congress and administration officials do not confirm their exact speaking times until shortly before the conference, so the agenda cannot be determined until about three weeks before the event.

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) are confirmed; invited are Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, (D-TX), Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), Sen. Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran (R-MS); Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA); Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Rep. French Hill and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)..

II. SCHEDULE

HOUSE SESSION: Wednesday evening, May 17, 2017, 4:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. The opening session is atthe US House of Representatives Rayburn building, Room 2060.

SENATE SESSION: Thursday morning, May 18, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.; Senate Russell Building Caucus Room 385

CLOSING SESSION: Thursday afternoon, May 18, 2017, 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill (212 E. Capitol)

III. GRASSROOTS PARTNERS

Nowadays, we often hear people complain about partisan gridlock in Washington, DC, or express disdain for either one or both of the major parties. Our response is that if you want to guarantee that gridlock and inaction persist, the surest way to get such a poor result is to give up on the democratic process and do nothing. Whatever your views, come to DC and give our elected officials an earful in person.

For this conference the Mid-Atlantic Region is one of the key regions, because of the double whammy described above posed by the Trump budget for this area. Although Virginia/Washington, DC/Maryland are relatively prosperous overall, even they have significant pockets of poverty. Economic inequality unfortunately is widespread across the country nowadays. With its dense population and many national organizations with headquarters in this area and, of course, proximity to Capitol Hill, this region has great potential for constructive activism for economic equality.

The Delta Caucus is a founding partner of the national EEC and is joining forces with similarly situated regions and populations across the country to amplify our voices in urging the national powers that be to take more effective action for those who have not shared equally in America’s prosperity and opportunity.

Grassroots participants who have already confirmed:

–Joel Berg, CEO, Hunger Free America, national anti-hunger organization based in New York, a nationally recognized expert on poverty and hunger in America who has often appeared on national news shows like CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS, MSNBC;

–The Housing Assistance Council, a national organization based in Washington, DC, Moises Loza, Executive Director;

–Katrin Sirje Kärk, Rural LISC; speaking aboutAppalachian Rural LISC project in Ohio, western Pennsylvania, western Maryland, West Virginia;

–Maryland NAACP officials from the venerable civil rights and justice organization with chapters across the country;

–Ilene Jacobs, senior attorney, California Rural Legal Aid, a program for lower-income people throughout the state of California;

–Patty Barker, Director, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance’s No Kid Hungry Campaign;

–Michael Curtin, CEO, DC Central Kitchen, a nationally recognized nonprofit working on job training, food and nutrition issues;

–Heifer International, an internationally recognized anti-hunger and poverty organization;

–Randy Henderson, Nucor Yamato Steel Corp., Blytheville, Arkansas; a world class company that has enlightened corporate policies including high wages, never laying off employees even in recessions, generous training and education benefits, and community outreach;

–Alan Gumbel, workforce development expert based in Memphis, Tennessee; veteran regional advocate for the Greater Delta Region going back to his days as an aide to the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Commission of the late 1980s, the Clinton administration’s Delta Regional Initiative, and a long-time senior partner of the Delta Grassroots Caucus;

–Millie Atkins, community leader in Monroe, Louisiana, with extensive experience in broadband expansion to underserved areas and education issues;

–The National Congress of American Indians, Jacqueline Pata, President; the largest organization representing the more than 5 million Native Americans in our country;

–Harvey Joe Sanner, president, American Agriculture Movement of Arkansas; veteran advocate for the Greater Delta Region and family farmers;

–Rodney Fisher, Alexandria, Virginia, education policy expert, former aide to then US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) and several governors of Texas;

–Gary Latanich, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Arkansas State University;

–Walter Tejada, president, Virginia Latino Leaders Council, northern Virginia;

–Ben Burkett, Southern Federation of Cooperatives; leader of African American farm family advocates in Mississippi;

–Connie Tuisku, Educator, West Palm Beach Community College, Florida;

–Sen. Barbara Favola (D-VA), distinguished leader on education, health care, women’s issues,

–Warwick Sabin, Senior Director, US Programs, Winrock International (nationally recognized nonprofit); Boys, Girls and Adults Community Development Corporation, Mississippi Delta region;

–Natalie Jayroe, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, serving 23 parishes in Louisiana; Mayor Eugene Smith, Arcadia, Louisiana.

–Giev Kashkooli, United Farm Workers, organization representing farm workers across the country;