US Bishops on bi-partisan immigration reform

During the summer recess, take action and urge your Representative and Senators to support SNAP (food stamps), pass bi-partisan immigration reform, and support a budget that helps people struggling in this economy

Most members of Congress will be home during the summer recess between August 5 and September 9. Take this opportunity and urge him or her to promote human life and dignity in our nation’s agriculture, immigration and budget policies.

Take action during the summer recess:

• Visit, call or write your Representative and Senators;
• Write op-eds or letters to the editor in your local newspaper;
• Participate in a town hall meeting with your elected officials and voice your concerns;
• Invite your elected officials to see the good work going on at your parish, food pantry or Catholic Charities that is serving struggling, poor and hungry people.

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.

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.

Support Bi-partisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform

• Pass bi-partisan immigration reform that preserves and protects family unity and provides a pathway to citizenshipfor undocumented persons living in the United States.

CURRENT SITUATION:

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.

The pathway forward on the Farm Bill is uncertain. Congress could begin to negotiate the process to reauthorize the Farm Bill when they return in September, or the House may attempt to pass a separate nutrition bill. Given time constraints, Congress may instead choose to extend the Farm Bill for a short period of time before the current extension ends on September 30.

Budget

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 could stay in place for through 2021.

The federal fiscal year for 2014 begins on October 1, 2103. Congress must reach an agreement to keep the government funded 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.

Bi-Partisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform

The Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation with significant bi-partisan support. The 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!”

Take Action Now!

Your voice is needed now to ensure that SNAP is protected, that bipartisan immigration reform passes and that Congress supports a budget that protects poor and vulnerable people.

To set up an appointment at a local office, please use the buttons below to find contact information.

Find Your Representative’s Contact Info

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Tags: Advocacy, Immigration reform, USCCB