Advocacy groups and policy experts are gearing up for the difficult and crucial budget battles anticipated this year in Congress. A number of briefings and conference calls recently have been held to educate and prepare people in Washington, DC, and around the country. On Jan. 13, many gathered in Washington, DC, to hear presentations on the budget outlook and expected timetable in 2005, explanation of the budget reconciliation process (which may be especially crucial this year), materials on spending caps, and how-to guides to debate and discuss budget issues. The briefing was co-hosted by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, AFSCME, the Coalition on Human Needs, Fair Taxes For All, the National Women’s Law Center, the National Education Association, and OMB Watch. Also last week, the Coalition on Human Needs held two conference calls on many of the same topics, in which more than 400 advocates from around the country took part. The aim was to give state and local advocates the tools and knowledge they need to get involved in the federal budget debate. Materials from that briefing are available on CHN’s website.