As Congress gets ready for “Round 2” of the Fiscal Showdown—yet another manufactured budget crisis that will unfold during the month of March and over the course of this year—Republicans are resisting proposals to make this crisis go away once and for all by closing tax loopholes for Wall Street and the richest 2% of Americans.

After Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) office ignored requests from Columbus-area families to meet and talk about the kind of budget policies he and other lawmakers are pushing that would hurt both working people and the recovering U.S. economy, they decided to drop by anyway. The Wednesday action outside Portman’s Columbus office was just one of dozens of “Protect Our Future” demonstrations around the country.

Working families will be gathering at congressional offices across the country on Wednesday to fight bad budget policies that would hurt both families and the recovering U.S. economy. Specifically, they will be telling members of Congress to reject any benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid; close loopholes for Wall Street and the richest 2%; and cancel the sequestration crisis they created for themselves and the rest of the country.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and other national leaders of unions and progressive groups actively involved in discussions over fiscal priorities met with President Obama Tuesday morning at the White House. Trumka and the group urged Obama to not give more tax cuts to those making more than $250,000 and to not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. The group also pledged to support the president in fighting for a good deal for the country, even if that means negotiating into the new year. Afterward, Trumka told reporters:  

New Hampshire Reps. Charles Bass (R) and Frank Guinta (R) have toed the line of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his extreme tea party-influenced agenda, with attacks on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and continued tax cuts for the rich.

With Bass’ and Guinta’s record on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Bush tax cuts in mind, yesterday several dozen union and community activists delivered “Middle Class Survival Kits” to their district offices in Manchester and Nashua.