Political pundits are spinning away in the wake of the elections, making guesses about what the election results say about the will of the voters.  But it's too critical a time for our country to let the paid pundits have the last word.

Moms (and dads!) know more than any political pundit about what's really going on across America!  Let's skip the middle man/woman and tell our members of Congress directly what's on our minds.   

*Click here to give members of Congress the straight scoop about the most important issues for your family right now--and, if you have them, any ideas about how your representatives in Congress can help: http://action.momsrising.org/go/476

We'll deliver your messages, along with the messages of other MomsRising members across the country, directly to members of Congress after they return from their election recess to D.C.  Your messages will give them essential information about what's really going on with real people across America.

It's more important than ever to bring the voices and experiences of our nation's parents to the halls of Congress. There's so much media spin going on right now that hearing from real parents is a breath of fresh air which gives leaders an important perspective on the national priorities of their constituents.  Priorities that are central to our families, like:

• Job creation, and access to affordable childcare/early learning so that families can work;
• Sick days so people can keep their jobs even if they--or their kids--get the flu;
• Keep health care reform moving forward so our kids aren't dropped from coverage just when they need it most;
• Fair pay legislation so that women can earn equal pay for equal work in a time when an increasing number of families are relying on the paychecks of moms to put food on the table.

These are policies which create jobs, allow parents to work, and help save taxpayers funds in the long-run due to short-term investments in times of need.  And, it's an especially critical time for the voices of real people to be brought forward to members of Congress in order to counter-balance the deluge of messaging funded by corporations during this recent election.  As the NY Times recently reported, outside groups spent "record sums on dozens of races in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling in January that eased restrictions on corporate political spending."[1]  This means that voices are needed not only to bypass the paid political pundits to tell Congress what's really going on in America, but also to ensure that Congress doesn't confuse the will of the people with the will of corporations.

Let's directly talk with our members of Congress and tell them loud and clear what's important to our families.  We've seen great progress made with health reform for our kids--and now we need to keep moving forward.  But also, right now, families are struggling with 1 in 7 people living in poverty, in our nation [2], and 1 in 4 children experiencing food scarcity due to family economic limitations [3].  More changes are needed.

We can do better for our families!

*Don't forget to click here to give members of Congress the straight scoop about the most important issues for your family right now--and, if you have them, any ideas about how your representatives in Congress can help: http://action.momsrising.org/go/476

And, please forward this email to friends and family so they too can share their priorities with members of Congress--and have their voices heard even though they don't have a television show.

Our leaders need to hear from us in order to do their jobs representing real people who are facing real issues in our nation.

Thank you for making sure that the voices of real parents aren't drowned out by paid pundits and corporate donations!

- Kristin, Joan, Mary, Donna, Julissa, Anita, Claire, Ruth, Ashley, Sarah, and the whole MomsRising Team

[1] Outside Groups on the Right Flexed Muscles, Michael Luo and Griff Palmer

[2] U.S. Census Bureau: "Income, Poverty, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009"

[3] The Washington Post: "America's economic pain brings hunger pangs"