By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor
Demonstrating that the practice of our Catholic faith transcends politics, our U.S. bishops are urging Congress to revise the proposed reconciliation bill so that it “truly supports the flourishing of families, without harming the poorest and most vulnerable …” Their letter to lawmakers dated May 20 identifies specific principles and the revisions necessary to bring them to fruition. Read this excellent letter (https://tinyurl.com/5n7255ye) to learn what’s at stake and to advocate for these essential revisions.
On May 21, the USCCB issued a statement from its president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio. “My brother bishops have sent a comprehensive letter to Congress commending parts of the budget proposal that will support human life and dignity, while also strongly encouraging them to reconsider provisions that will harm the poor and disadvantaged, our immigrant brothers and sisters, and our environment,” he wrote.
He underscored the bishops’ “grave concerns” about the bill and implored Congress to “address the real and substantial harms that would result from provisions in this bill before it advances further. Raising income taxes on the working poor, cutting nutrition and healthcare programs for those most in need, and eliminating investments in environmental stewardship would place a terrible burden on the least of our brothers and sisters,” Archbishop Broglio wrote.
On May 22, the House passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” barely, 215-214. Now it’s the Senate’s turn to wrestle with the massive measure that exceeds 1,000 pages. We have an opportunity to join the bishops in calling for substantial revisions (votervoice.net/USCCB/home).
Among the principles addressed in the USCCB letter (and that form the basis for our advocacy efforts) are the following excerpts:
- Protect human life and dignity. The sacredness of human life is fundamental to all of the priorities identified in the letter. The bishops “strongly support ending taxpayer subsidization of major abortion and ‘gender transition’ providers like Planned Parenthood.”
- Care for the poor. The Congressional Budget Office reports that “the combined health provisions of the bill will cause more than 13 million people to lose their health insurance,” the bishops said. “The changes to SNAP will mean that millions will go hungry. At the time of this writing, negotiations are ongoing to take potentially more money from Medicaid and SNAP. These provisions are unconscionable and unacceptable.”
- Family formation and strengthening. The bishops say the small expansion of the Child Tax Credit will only help middle- and high-income families, leaving behind the lowest-income children because refundability remains the same. “The continued elimination of the personal exemption, coupled with a temporary increase of the standard deduction, will mean tax incentives will not favor larger families the way they did pre-2018.”
- Adequate revenue for the sake of the common good and avoiding future cuts to poverty programs. “As presently written, the House package will, by design, result in a nearly $3 trillion deficit over ten years — twice the cost of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which it seeks to extend,” the bishops said. “Even with the potential benefits of economic growth from individual and corporate tax cuts — which cannot be guaranteed — the poor should not be the ones to finance these changes, now or in the future.”
- Progressivity of the tax code. The bishops said the bill “raises taxes on the working poor while simultaneously providing tax breaks to the highest-income taxpayers. More than half of the $3 trillion deficit is from the continued virtual elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which was designed to prevent high-income earners from avoiding tax liability through excessive use of credits and loopholes.” The bishops say the bill “should be fixed so that the risks taken fall on those who stand to benefit most rather than on those who struggle on the margins of society.”
- Inclusion of immigrant and mixed-status families. The bishops oppose the bill’s “double down … unsustainable enforcement-only approach to immigration,” which they say unjustly places immigrant and mixed-status families at a profound disadvantage. “We are also deeply concerned about the unprecedented levels of mandatory funding that would escalate enforcement far beyond the legitimate goals of promoting public safety and bringing to justice those who commit crimes. These provisions are contrary to the common good.”
- Energy and environment. The House’s proposed “$500 billion cut to clean energy incentives and the repeal of environmental justice programs and energy efficient loans create significant barriers to accessing clean energy, especially for rural and urban poor and middle-income families,” the bishops said. “Cuts will also increase pollution that affects children and the unborn, blunt economic opportunities, and decrease resilience against extreme weather.” Clean energy companies would have difficulty operating and creating good jobs. Removal of environmental review requirements from permitting and processes would “hinder good stewardship.”
Our Church teaches that we seek together “the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.” We need to act now to create a truly “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
Arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org
