The United States Senate passed S.744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, by a bipartisan vote of 68-32.

The bill would significantly overhaul our nation's broken immigration system and provide a 13-year pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The bill also allocates over $30 billion over the next decade to increase the number of Border Patrol agents and build 700 miles of fencing along the southern border.

Following the vote, CCUSA released a statement calling the passage "an important step forward." The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also commended the Senate on its bipartisan passage of a comprehensive bill. Senator Brown voted yes; you can thank him for voting yes by calling (202) 224-3121. Portman voted no, you can use the same number to express your thoughts.

The focus now shifts to the House of Representatives, whose leadership has stated immigration reform will not be brought to the floor without majority support from the majority party. This may lead to a reform bill being broken up into individual pieces rather than being considered as a comprehensive piece of legislation.  Please look for updates and opportunities to make your voice heard on this issue.

The House of Representatives voted not to approve reauthorizing the full Farm Bill for the next five year period. As it stood, the bill proposed a devastating cut of $20.5 billion to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which the Catholic community opposed. In addition, several harmful amendments to SNAP were attached to the bill. With the failure of the Farm Bill to pass in the House, the future of the legislation is uncertain. The House and Senate must reach an agreement on the Farm Bill before September 30 when the current law expires, or a temporary fix will have to be enacted. 

After voting down reauthorization of the farm bill last week, House leadership indicated they would be pursuing a different strategy when Congress returns to Washington, D.C. after the Fourth of July recess.

Some House leaders are considering splitting the farm bill into pieces, separating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, from the rest of the bill. While this strategy so may ease passage of the individual components, it could also complicate efforts to seek a compromise between the House and Senate in a conference committee. To learn more about the farm bill reauthorization that was already passed by the Senate, please visit the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry website. 

Stay tuned for more updates as the Farm Bill heats up on Capitol Hill this summer!

 The Catholic community, led by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), and the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (NCRLC) and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVDP)support important provisions in the 2013 Farm Bill that save lives, lift people out of poverty and promote environmental stewardship. The bishops acknowledge that reducing future unsustainable deficits is important but remind Congress that their decisions are not just economic in nature but are "political and moral choices with human consequences." However, at a time of continued unemployment and high levels of poverty, the Senate should oppose cuts to effective anti-hunger programs that help people live in dignity and strengthen and support programs that help conserve our land and resources for future generations.

The Catholic community also urges further reductions in subsidies and reforms to crop insurance subsidies so that small and medium-sized farmers and ranchers who truly need assistance, especially minority owned farms, are supported rather than larger growers and industrial agriculture. Savings from cuts to subsidies should be used to support hunger and nutrition programs that feed hungry, poor and vulnerable people at home and abroad.

USCCB POSITION/CHURCH TEACHING:  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI stated that "Liberation from the yoke of hunger is the first concrete expression of the right to life." The U.S. bishops and their Catholic partners also remind Congress that food is a fundamental human right. For more information about our position, read their recent letter to Congress. Visit the USCCB website for more information, updates and alerts on the Farm Bill.

The USCCB and other Catholic organizations also recently joined with an additional 100 organizations, urging Congress to support and protect the SNAP program from cuts and changes that would harm vulnerable and hungry people in need.