Thirteen bi-co students set out to talk to their congress people about Medicaid and SNAP.
Ending with chants of “I believe that we will win” Haverford and Bryn Mawr College students concluded their day of lobbying on Capital Hill last Monday, March 20th. As part of the Friends Committee for National Legislation’s Spring Lobby Weekend, 13 bi-co students set out to talk to their congress people about why they believed that Medicaid and SNAP are programs that need to be held up, not cut, and compromised on as the new administration takes office. Fueled with personal stories about their experiences of using these programs, living in communities who rely on these programs, or understandings of the importance of these programs students met with representatives from many different states, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon, and North Carolina. Junior, Jeremy Graf Evans reflected on his experience saying, “This was my third year attending Spring Lobby Weekend and every year it is a reminder of the power that "we the people" yield when speaking to the congress folk whose decisions, and subsequently careers, depend on the voters that are within our spheres of influence.”
Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL) is a Quaker organization that “lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, opportunity, and environmental stewardship.” FCNL hosts an annual Spring Lobby Weekend (SLW) which provides an opportunity for hundreds of youth to gather, attend workshops, gain lobby training, and listen to speakers before they set out and actually meet with the representatives or their offices on Capital Hill. This year’s SLW theme, “#resistinjustice,” focused around policies that are important for the health and wellbeing of the poor, specifically Medicaid and SNAP. In a happy victory, three days after studies lobbied the bill that students were lobbying against, The American Health Care Act, was withdrawn from a vote on the floor because it was clear it wouldn’t pass. This was a victory for the students who poured their hearts and time into fighting with FCNL to protect Medicaid and healthcare.
Aside from the lobbying its self bi-co students had the opportunity to hear congressman Steve Cohen address the group, and attend workshops ranging from Bringing Your Faith into Activism to How to Bring Advocacy Into Your Career. Students also had the opportunity to attend a mixer with Quaker Voluntary Service and be in fellowship with other Quaker and like-minded students.
