Washington—With more than one million voter contacts, USAction Education Fund and its partners in 14 states were instrumental to the effort that helped American voters send Congress clear instructions Tuesday to abandon its upside-down foreign and domestic priorities and adopt an agenda of Investment in America's Future.

USAEF's multi-state program, an extension of its continuing work for social and economic justice, encouraged voter participation with a focus on health care, education and clean energy issues among members of historically under-represented voting groups, including unmarried women, African Americans, and Latinos.

"In this election, as always, the power lies with those who vote," said USAEF Executive Director Jeff Blum.  "Our work this year gave a voice to the millions of Americans for whom affordable health care, high quality public education, and expanded clean-energy development are top priorities.  As we fight in the new Congress for our pro-middle class issues agenda, we can now remind Congress that, in 2006, Americans voted overwhelmingly to invest in America's future."

USAEF, in a partnership with Women's Voices. Women's Vote., conducted the nation's largest direct voter contact program with unmarried women.

USAEF's voter-mobilization efforts made the difference in elections across the country.  In two of the 6 states with minimum-wage increases on the ballot – Colorado and Missouri – USAEF partners were the leading advocates for higher pay.  In Maine and Oregon, USAEF partners were leaders in defeating tax-cap initiatives knows as TABOR.  In southeastern Pennsylvania, in Virginia, and elsewhere, where U.S. House and Senate races came down to the narrowest-possible margins, the USAEF work increased participation among historically under-represented groups by what amounted to a substantial percentage of the margin dividing the winner and the losing candidate.

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USAction Education Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to research and education concerning issues of racial, social and economic justice.  The organization works with partners in 24 states to help increase civic participation and consumer advocacy.  Members of the media who wish to interview Executive Director Jeff Blum should contact Will Matthews at (202) 263-4541.