Yesterday, hundreds of you took action, calling your representatives and asking them to vote NO on the budget "continuing resolution" and to vote NO on dangerous anti-choice legislation. 

Unfortunately, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass the continuing resolution this weekend, cutting funding for sex education and family planning in the U.S. and around the world. The next step is for the continuing resolution to head over to the Senate. Meanwhile, the two anti-abortion bills (the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" and the "Protect Life Act") are priorities for House Republicans and will be coming up for votes soon.

Today, Congress is heading home.

Starting today, your Senators and Representatives are traveling home — and the timing couldn't be better!Members of Congress are returning to your districts to meet with and hear from constituents. This is the perfect opportunity to let them know — in person — that you oppose cuts to family planning and new laws that attack reproductive rights. 

There are two ways to make your voice heard next week:

1. Make an appointment or stop by to visit the district office. Let your Senators, Representative, or their staff know that you oppose the continuing resolution because of drastic funding cuts to Title X, international family planning, and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. And don't forget to ask them to oppose the upcoming measures that attack women's access to abortion coverage and care.
2. Attend a public forum, town hall meeting, or other event — and ask whether your Representative will take a stand against these dangerous funding cuts and new laws that put the health and lives of women and youth at risk.

If you'd like more information and talking points about the programs affected by funding cuts in the Continuing Resolution — or about the proposed restrictions on abortion — you can find that here.

Find your Senators and Representative

Whether you attend a public event to ask a question or make a statement, or if you set up a meeting for the House, you can look up your Representative here and find their website here, with contact information for District Offices and schedules of public events. Find your Senators here — and just click on a Senator's name to visit their website.

And if you need any help — setting up meetings, getting ready, finding resources — just email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Next week is a great opportunity to prove that young people can have an impact. Let's get to work!

Julia Reticker-Flynn
Youth Activist Network Coordinator
Advocates for Youth

P.S. One of our partner organizations, Choice USA, is hosting an e-training about in-district visits this Sunday, February 20, and has generously opened the call to members of the Youth Activist Network. If you would like to join the call for some quick tips about effective in-person lobbying, RSVP athttp://bit.ly/advocacytraining.