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Call to Political Action in August | |
During the summer recess, take action and urge your Representative and Senators to support Nutrition programs in the Farm Bill, pass Immigration Reform, and support a Budget that helps people struggling in this economy.
Members of Congress will be in their home states and districts during the summer recess between August 5 and September 9. The U.S. Catholic Bishops are asking us to find an opportunity during this time to urge members of Congress to promote human life and dignity in our nation's agriculture, immigration and budget policies.
Call to Action
Your voice is needed to join with many others and ensure that food assistance programs are protected, that bipartisan immigration reform passes and that Congress supports a budget that protects poor and vulnerable people. More details below.
If you click on the Call to Action, you will access a page that has all these messages for email. Better, yet, call the local offices or visit senators and representatives for a stronger message.
Find necessary contact information: www.house.gov and www.senate.gov . |
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Still Need Action on Farm Bill by September 30th |
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.
Take action during the summer recess and tell your Representative and Senators:
Support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- SNAP is a crucial part of the Farm Bill. Cuts or structural changes to the program that will harm poor and hungry people should be opposed;
- SNAP helps relieve pressure on overwhelmed parishes, charities, food banks and other emergency food providers who struggle to meet the needs of hungry people.
Current Situation and Background: Farm Bill
On June 10, the Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill that included $4 billion in cuts to SNAP and nearly $6 billion in cuts to conservation programs over ten years. On July 11, the House passed a version of the Farm Bill that removes SNAP and the rest of the nutrition title from the Farm Bill. The House is now considering different options including cuts and structural changes to SNAP. If passed, these cuts would reduce benefits and have serious and harmful impacts on the most hungry and vulnerable seniors, children, and unemployed, in our country. Congress should find savings in the Farm Bill by ending direct payments to large, agri-business and prioritize agriculture subsidies in a way that helps farmers and ranchers most in need.
July 24, 2013: The House of Representatives has sent its farm-only Farm Bill to the Senate, enabling a conference committee to begin soon to reconcile their two bills. As reported in previous bulletins, the House passed a farm bill without a Nutrition title; the Senate version maintains nutrition and food assistance programs, so it remains to be seen how the two bills will be reconciled.
There is some hope that by starting a conference committee, the momentum will build for the reauthorization of a new Farm Bill before the Sept. 30th expiration of the current bill. A new bill is clearly needed: simply extending the current bill (as happened last year) means that many important rural development and conservation programs go unfunded. Also, no reforms are made to commodity programs and crop insurance subsidies.
Catholic Rural Life continues to advocate for a new Farm Bill now. Please visit the NCRLC webpage for more about the Farm Bill.
Visit the USCCB Farm Bill website visit www.usccb.org/farmbill.
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.
USCCB POSITION/CHURCH TEACHING
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.
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. |
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Need to Protect Poor in Budget Appropriations |
On March 1, 2013 the sequester (a mandatory across the board cut to most federal programs) went into effect, because Congress and the Administration were unable to reach an alternative agreement on federal spending and deficit reduction. Unless replaced, the sequester will stay in place for the next ten years.
The federal fiscal year for 2014 begins on October 1, 2103. Congress must reach an agreement to keep funding the government by September 30, 2013.
The budget for FY 2014 should replace the sequester with a fair and just budget that reweaves a circle of protection around those programs that provide vital services to poor and hungry people at home and abroad.
Replace the sequester with a circle of protection
- Remind both your Senators and Representative that the federal budget is a moral document with human consequences; they need to protect programs that help poor, unemployed and underemployed people still struggling in this economy.
- The sequester (automatic across the board cuts to federal programs) is hurting people living in poverty. Cuts to programs such as Head Start and Meals on Wheels are keeping families from meeting their basic needs.
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Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform |
Bi-Partisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The U.S. Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation with significant bi-partisan support. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering whether to address immigration reform legislation that can provide significant relief to potentially millions of people and their families.
The House may consider immigration bills when they return to Washington in September. It is important for Representatives to hear from their constituents when they are home that there is support for bi-partisan immigration reform that keeps families together and creates a path to citizenship.
USCCB Position/Church Teaching
The "scandal of hunger" which Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI have addressed, the plight of our immigrant sisters and brothers seeking a decent way of life for their families, and the struggle that many poor, underemployed and unemployed people continue to face in our nation, calls for us to respond and turn away from indifference. As Pope Francis stated during his trip to Brazil for World Youth Day 2013, "I would like to make an appeal to those in possession of greater resources, to public authorities and to all people of good will who are working for social justice: never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater solidarity! No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world!" |
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House Pulls THUD Appropriations Bill |
The House of Representatives continued to find difficulty in passing spending authorization bills, as leadership pulled an appropriations bill funding the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.
The $44.1 billion package, which provides funding for community development block grants (CDBGs), among other programs, was criticized by some House members for cutting too much in spending on these programs, and criticized by others for not cutting enough federal outlays. As drafted, the bill would have cut CDBG funding to 1970s levels. In advance of the House's consideration of the letter, Catholic Charities USA sent a letter on the THUD appropriations levels.
It appears increasingly likely that most spending bills will be rolled over in a continuing resolution, which would maintain funding at current levels. Congress is unlikely to pass appropriations bills after the August recess when an impending debt-limit fight will likely take center stage. Catholic Charities USA will continue to monitor the appropriations process and provide updates and opportunities to weigh in at moments of maximum impact. But, you can encourage your representative to support full funding for housing programs that allow each individual access to safe, decent, and affordable housing.
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Catholics Confront Global Poverty Update on Syria |
As the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis rages on, CRS staff Caroline Brennan recently visited the region to learn more about the Church's efforts to help Syrian refugees. Her story highlights the ongoing struggles many refugee families face, and their desire to return home once it's safe.
Thanks to you, hundreds of letters calling for a peaceful and political solution to end the conflict in Syria were delivered to Congress over the past few weeks. Your continued prayers and letters are still needed. Consider connecting your friends, family and parish community with the latest news and resources to expand the prayer and action circle for our brothers and sisters fleeing the violence in Syria.
Your voice and prayers do make a difference! Thank you for all you do to pursue peace and justice for all of our brothers and sisters.
Yours in Christ,
Your Catholics Confront Global Poverty Team |
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And on a State Level: Medicaid Reform and the General Assembly | |
Advocates should continue to apply pressure to legislators regarding expansion. Medicaid Reform and Expansion is still under consideration. The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion program was not included in the State Budget, however, the Governor vetoed language that would have prohibited such expansion from ever occurring. Hearings are expected to continue over the summer on this issue.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio joins with Ohio Catholic hospitals and Catholic Charities agencies in urging the state legislature to support both Medicaid reform and the Governor's proposed Medicaid expansion.
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