Our nation is currently facing many challenges. We remain in the clutches of the worst economic recession our country has seen in decades, unemployment rates are still hovering at or around 10%; our parishes continue to provide higher amounts of food and financial assistance than in years past and still cannot meet community needs; over 43 million Americans are currently living in poverty.
Clearly, we have difficult decisions to make as a nation about the direction of our country. Congress is currently debating the Federal Budget and will make dramatic cuts from past years’ budgets. Our Catholic Tradition tells us that Jesus identifies himself as one with those who are vulnerable and poor (Mt. 25). All Catholics are called to put the needs of people who are poor and vulnerable first; our Church teaches that the fundamental moral judgment of all laws, policies, social structures, and institutions is how they affect the poorest members of society.
Fiscal responsibility is important and it requires shared sacrifice and a priority concern for poor persons at home and abroad in our budget choices. Current budget proposals would force individuals and families who are poor to the brunt of the proposed cuts. The vast majority of the cuts come from the non-defense, discretionary portion of the budget (only about 12% of the total budget)--which includes the majority of social welfare, education, and other anti-poverty funding. Some of the largest proposed funding cuts include:
- $2.3 billion from job training programs
- $1.08 billion from Head Start
- $100 million from Emergency Food and Shelter
- $875 million from International Disaster Assistance
- $800 million from International Food Aid
- $2.5 billion from affordable housing
- $1 billion from Community Health Centers
- $904 million from migrants and refugees
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops and several of their affiliated organizations have made statements regarding the budget proposals that are being made by House and Senate leaders. Below, you will find a series of links to the USCCB and other National Catholic Organizations recent positions and statements about the Federal Budget Process. Please make any of this information that you deem appropriate available to your parishioners and community members so that we can all remember that, although the dire need for greater national fiscal restraint exists, the poorest and most vulnerable members of our nation and world should not bear the greatest burden of a reduction in federal spending.
To take action, please encourage participation in the Virginia Catholic Conference’s Legislative Advocacy network by visiting www.vacatholic.org.
A very informative overview of the potential effect of currently proposed legislation can be found at https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/netcommunity/budget.
In Solidarity,
Jay.
USCCB
Catholic Relief Services
https://secure.crs.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=709&JServSessionIdr004=5bco8ehgj1a.app244b
Catholic Charities USA
No comments:
Post a Comment