The Brief Links contain links to several valuable websites and webpages including ones about environmental programs and plans for the state of California and the Bay Area.  The key upcoming environmental events are

• December 2012 - Release Draft Plan Bay Area and EIR
• January through March 2013 - Public hearings/workshops will be held throughout the region, along with online comment opportunities
• April 2013 - MTC and ABAG will adopt the final Plan Bay Area and certify the final EIR.

For the benefit of those whose email service does not provide access by links to PDF files, the URLs have been provided in braces [   ] so they can be copied and pasted into your browser.

There will be no Social Justice Newsletters in July and August.
 

Protecting Life-Saving Treatment in the Federal Budget
 

A webcast by Catholics Confront Global Poverty on June 19 had the full title "When I was Sick You Cared for Me: Protecting Life-Saving Treatment in the Federal Budget."  The webcast consisted of a conference telephone call that "walked through" a visual slide presentation.  It highlighted the work of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in combatting HIV/AIDS.  Noteworthy is CRS's success in blocking the transmission of HIV between spouses and also from mothers to their unborn children.  Even more important is the effectiveness of Anti-Retroviral Therapy in reducing the number of deaths per year due to AIDS.  For example, Zambia, a landlocked country of Southern Africa with a population of 13.4 million had an HIV AIDS prevalence of 21.5% in 2001

• Anti-Retroviral Therapy Treatment for AIDS started in Zambia in 2002
• Direct impact on death rates:
• 2001 AIDS Deaths 120,000
• 2003 AIDS Deaths 89,000
• 2007 AIDS Deaths 56,000

Chapter 6 dealt with the special role of the Religious (nuns and consecrated priests and brothers)

  
Chapter 7 dealt with the Church as a Pilgrim people, in union with those who have gone before us, but always in need of growth and reform in our journey.
  

Chapter 8 dealt with the special role of Mary as the best model for how to live.
  

Fr. Dan concluded by pointing out that the legacy of Vatican II has included the many synods of bishops that have been held, the many national councils of bishops that have been formed, and the new prevalence of lay ministries as well as the consultative bodies in a local parish, e.g., pastoral councils, finance committees, etc.
    

July 17, Decree on the Apostolate of lay people:  from pray, pay...to put on your apron.  Fr. Padraig Greene
 

July 24, Declaration on Religious Freedom, what is Religious Freedom?  Fr. Dan Danielson, Pastor Emeritus
 

July 31, Bishops and priests:  with you I am baptized... for you I am ordained.  Fr. John Kasper, Pastor, St. Perpetua Church, Lafayette

August 14, Declaration on christian education:  who is responsible for christian education now?  Liz Rogers, Director, CCOP Faith Formation
 

August 28, Decree on Ecumenism: from enemies to brothers and sisters.  Fr. Dan Danielson, Pastor Emeritus
 

September 11, Decree on the up-to-date renewal of religious life: religious life then, religious life now - God is doing something new.  Sr. Joann Heinritz, CSJ, Director of Mission, Carondelet High School, Concord
 

September 18, Dogmatic constitution on divine revelation: flinging open the bible to    God's people.  Aggie Burke, bible scholar
 

October 9, Parish anniversary celebration of the golden jubilee of the opening of Vatican II and the beginning of the year of faith.  Details to be announced
 

October 16, Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church:   From the pews to preaching the Gospel to all  Creation.  Does the mission still have a church?  Deacon Matt Dulka, Mission Education & Promotion, Maryknoll
 

October 30, Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church in Vatican II.  Fr. William Rozario, Associate Pastor, St. Raymond Church
     

Department of Justice, Peace & Human Development

Senate Passes Farm Bill

June 22, 2012

Your voices were heard!  Thank you for your advocacy for a Farm Bill that feeds the hungry, preserves creation, supports small family farmers, and helps rural America thrive.

THANK YOU!

Thank you to all of you who made visits, calls or sent letters and e-mails to your senators urging them to pass a fair Farm Bill that promotes human dignity and fosters stewardship of creation. Thursday afternoon, the Senate passed by a vote of 64-35, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012 (Farm Bill, S.3240). In these past weeks, we have worked together to remind the Senate that the moral measure of our nation's agriculture policies is how they serve "the least of these." To see how your Senators voted on amendments and final passage, click here. 

UPDATE

Earlier this week, the Senate reached an agreement to consider a list of 73 amendments for a vote and to vote on final passage of the Farm Bill. The Catholic community responded to several of the amendments.
   

Now that the Senate has finished work on the Farm Bill, we turn our attention to the House. The House is expected to propose deeper cuts to nutrition programs and conservation programs and will take a different direction than the Senate to address direct payments and subsidies to farmers. The House Agricultural Committee announced they plan to vote on their version of the Farm Bill on July 11th.
  

WHAT'S IN THE SENATE VERSION OF THE FARM BILL?

The Senate Farm Bill contains some improvements and disappointments in light of our common principles and priorities. However, your advocacy was instrumental in stopping significant cuts to programs that help feed hungry and vulnerable people at home and abroad, provide needed assistance to farmers and rural communities, promote fair farm support programs and foster stewardship of creation. Here are some of the results your advocacy helped achieve:
    

Domestic Hunger and Nutrition: Cuts to domestic hunger and nutrition programs could have been more severe but the Senate heard your voice, rejected deeper cuts and chose to maintain the strong structure of important domestic hunger programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-formerly Food Stamps) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). We supported an amendment offered by Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) to restore the proposed $4.5 billion cut to the food stamp program, but unfortunately the amendment was rejected.

    
International Food Security and Development: The Food for Peace program to combat chronic hunger, build resilience against drought and other natural disasters and provide needed nutrition for poor families abroad was reauthorized. We also advocated for international development assistance and for protection of the development "safe box," which funds long-term anti-hunger programs that help people better feed themselves and their families. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) offered an amendment that was adopted to increase the minimum funding levels for "non-emergency" development programs by a modest 5%, which will help promote international development in some of the poorest countries.

  
Conservation: Conservation programs were targeted for significant reductions in the amendment process, including an attempt to end the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The amendment was rejected. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) offered an amendment that was adopted, which requires those receiving crop insurance subsidy payments to comply with conservation practices to protect soil and wetlands.

   
Rural Development: There were positive developments in the Farm Bill to support programs to help rural communities thrive. An amendment offered by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was approved providing $35 million to help new farmers, $50 million over five years for the Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) and funds the Rural Microentrepeneur Assistance Program (RMAP) to help start new, small, rural businesses. We have traditionally supported both of these programs. The USCCB also supported an amendment offered by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) which was adopted, to promote expansion of broadband in rural communities.

  
Subsidies/Crop Insurance: There were positive and unprecedented reforms to agriculture subsidies. For the first time, the Senate ended some significant subsidies by eliminating direct payments that have been provided to farmers and farm owners even if they did not grow crops. However, the Senate expanded subsidized crop insurance in a way that continues to benefit mostly large, agri-businesses over smaller farmers in need. We supported an amendment offered by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) to establish a reasonable payment limit on crop insurance subsidies. The adopted amendment reduces the premium subsidy for crop insurance for farmers with an annual adjusted gross income greater than $750,000 per year, which is an important first step.

   
WHAT'S NEXT?
With the passage of the Senate Farm Bill now completed, our attention now shifts to the House who will begin work in Committee and possibly bring the bill to the Floor in July. For more information, including updates and alerts see the USCCB Farm Bill page by clicking here.

    
In the coming weeks, we will ask you to raise your voices and join with us to remind the House that our nation's agriculture priorities must help the "least of these" by promoting a Farm Bill that feeds hungry, poor and vulnerable people and promotes stewardship of creation. Again, we thank you for your hard work, advocacy and dedication.