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The following Action Alert from the USCCB was issued today. (I apologize if links do not work - my cursor is beyond skittish and, as soon as I return to DC next week, will be getting a new computer. Bear with me.)
Take ACTION!
Protect our Poor and Vulnerable Brothers and Sisters
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urges Congress and the Administration to protect programs for poor and vulnerable persons during deficit reduction negotiations that are happening this week.
What you can do:
Urge the Administration and Congress to give priority to poor and vulnerable persons in the negotiations to reduce the deficit.
Fiscal responsibility is important and our current budget deficit must be addressed; however, a just framework for future budgets cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons. A balanced approach requires shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary spending, and addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly.
Urge Congress and the Administration to consider these moral criteria to guide their budgetary decisions:
1. Every budget decision should be assessed by whether it protects or threatens human life and dignity.
2. A central moral measure of any budget proposal is how it affects "the least of these" (Matthew 25). The needs of those who are hungry and homeless, without work, or in poverty should come first.
3. Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic time.
Take Action Now!
Call 1-888-245-0215 to be connected to the White House comment line.
To locate your Representative or Senator, visit www.house.gov
