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Feature News | Tuesday, May 23, 2017

U.S. bishops speak out on Haitians' TPS, proposed budget

A round-up of what Catholic bishops are saying, doing about current events

Bishops: Budget is ‘moral document,’ must protect ‘the least of these’

WASHINGTON | Six Chairmen of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a letter in advance of the anticipated unveiling of President Donald J. Trump’s full budget plan May 23.  

That proposed budget is expected to call for a sharp increase in military spending while making significant cuts across much of the rest of government, including the planned elimination of dozens of long-standing federal programs that assist the poor and vulnerable.

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In letters to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate sent May 19, the bishops reaffirmed the federal budget as a moral document containing profound implications for the common good of our nation and world. The letter states that the “budget requires difficult decisions that ought to be guided by moral criteria that protect human life and dignity, give central importance to ‘the least of these’ (Matthew 25), and promote the welfare of workers and families who struggle to live in dignity.”

The letter was signed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who chairs the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, who chairs the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, who chairs the Committee on International Justice and Peace; Bishop George V. Murry, SJ, of Youngstown, who chairs the Committee on Catholic Education; Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, of Burlington, who chairs the Committee on Communications; and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, who chairs the Committee on Migration. 

Following are some excerpts:

  • "Sharp increases in defense and immigration enforcement spending, coupled with simultaneous and severe reductions to non-defense discretionary spending, particularly to many domestic and international programs that assist the most vulnerable, would be profoundly troubling. Such deep cuts would pose a threat to the security of our nation and world, and would harm people facing dire circumstances. When the impact of other potential legislative proposals, including health care and tax policies, are taken into account, the prospects for vulnerable people become even bleaker.
  • "Accounting for about one-third of worldwide military expenditures, U.S. defense spending far exceeds that of any other nation. The United States spends as much as at least the next eight nations combined, many of them our allies. Our nation continues to increase spending on nuclear weapons, despite the moral imperative to verifiably disarm from this class of indiscriminate weapons. Military force should only be employed in a just cause as a last resort within strict moral limits of proportionality, discrimination and probability of success... 
  • "Our nation should elevate diplomacy and international development as primary tools for promoting peace, regional stability and human rights, not adopt deep cuts to these budgets... It is hard to reconcile the need for diplomacy and political solutions with significant cuts to the State Department budget.
  • "The reconciliation process should not be used to achieve savings through cutting health care, nutrition, income security, or other anti-poverty programs...
  • "Our Catholic community defends the unborn and the undocumented, feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, educates the young, and cares for the sick, both at home and abroad. We help mothers facing challenging situations of pregnancy, poor families rising above crushing poverty, refugees fleeing conflict and persecution, and communities devastated by wars, natural disasters and famines. In much of this work, we are partners with government. Our combined resources allow us to reach further and help more...
  • "The moral measure of the federal budget is how well it promotes the common good of all, especially the most vulnerable whose voices are too often missing in these debates. The Catholic Bishops of the United States stand ready to work with leaders of both parties for a federal budget that reduces future deficits, protects poor and vulnerable people, and advances peace and the common good."

The full text of the letter is available here.  

Bishop thanks Homeland Security for renewal of TPS status for Haitians

WASHINGTON | The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, offered his appreciation to Secretary John Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security for his decision to extend Temporary Protective Status for Haitians in the United States for six months. But he urged continued engagement and humanitarian assistance to improve conditions in Haiti.

Here is Bishop Vásquez’s full statement:

“On behalf of the USCCB Committee on Migration, I express gratitude to Secretary Kelly of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Trump Administration for extending another six months of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to over 58,000 Haitians living and working in the United States legally. While this extension is helpful, it still leaves many Haitian families in the United States in an insecure and vulnerable position, particularly with respect to ensuring legal work authorization. Extending TPS serves an important humanitarian role by providing for the safety, well-being, and stability of Haitians living in the United States. We encourage our government to work proactively with the Haitian government to provide life-saving aid and recovery assistance. Haiti will continue to struggle to receive back those who are temporarily protected, even those who may be returned in the near future. Through the Church’s service networks, we will continue to assist Haitian families in the U.S., aid the rebuilding process in Haiti and look for opportunities to collaborate with the Church in Haiti and the Haitian and U.S. governments.”

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