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Tell Congress: Cuts will Cost Lives! November 6th, 2012
As Congress returns for a Lame Duck session after the November 6 elections, your voice is needed to preserve poverty-focused international assistance during Congressional deliberations on debt reduction and appropriations legislation. Urge your Senators and Representative to pass fiscal year (FY) 2013 poverty–focused international relief and development funding at the levels passed by the Senate earlier this year. For Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Zambia, this small amount of funding that represents less than 1% of the federal budget saves millions of lives.
Read the USCCB and CRS joint Action Alert for details on how to take action (Download PDF)
The Imploding Banking Sector July 24th, 2012
Read Fr. Finn’s latest blog on Huffington Post – his commentary on the latest implosion of the banking sector. It begins…
Summer months here in Washington, D.C. are generally characterized by the slower pace that is associated with southern cities and the rush of Congress and government employees to get in some vacationing with their families before Labor Day. Even the traffic reporters usually sprinkle their reports with comments about the decreased traffic flows or the early exits for the eastern shore that usually start on Thursday afternoon.
Unfortunately, if you are on the House Financial Services Committee or the Senate Banking committee or one of the regulators for the numerous corporations that operate in the financial services sector, there has been very little down time since the famous early May JPMC announcement about the huge trading loss in their Chief Investment Office in London. Since then the amount of the loss has more than doubled and numerous investigations into the actions of individuals involved in the loss have been opened. All of these activities promise to keep a number of folks at their desks for longer than expected.
Prominent Christians, Jews and Muslims Unite to Protect Funding for Poverty Assistance Programming July 15th, 2011
Interfaith Coalition Warns Administration, Congress that Houses of Worship Will Be Unable to Make Up the Difference in Funding Caused by Cuts to Poverty Programs .
Representing a growing movement of Americans concerned that the Administration and Congress are enacting a budget deal that will place an undue burden on the poor “while shielding the wealthiest from any additional sacrifice,” leaders representing the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths today launched a new campaign to encourage policymakers to maintain a robust U.S. commitment to domestic and international poverty programs. Fr. William Antone, OMI joined the other national faith leaders in issuing this call.
Inspired by a common spiritual conviction that God has called on all Americans to protect the vulnerable and promote the dignity of all individuals living in society, the interfaith coalition is aiming to protect those struggling to overcome poverty in the U.S. and abroad and to exclude programs that protect people in poverty from the budget deficit debates.
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Promises New Immigration Bill in 2010 April 12th, 2010
Congress is back to work in Washington D.C. after the Easter recess, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised new legislation on immigration reform in 2010. Senator Reid, facing a tough re-election campaign, appeared elated by the crowd of thousands rallying for immigration reform in downtown Las Vegas last Saturday, and said he would start work on a new immigration bill when lawmakers returned from the Easter recess. “We are going to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” Reid told the crowd. “We need to do this this year. We can’t let excuses like a Supreme Court nomination get in the way.” Reid promised the legislation would include provisions to secure the north and south borders, revisions to a guest worker program, and provisions to deal with illegal immigrants already in the country.” As momentum to introduce a senate version immigration reform overhaul continues, it is important to know where your Senator and Representative stand on Immigration Reform….
- Find out where your Senator stands on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: View your Senator’s scorecard now.
- Find out where your Representative stands on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: View your House of Representative score card now.
Immigration Reform Bill Introduced in Congress December 17th, 2009
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office applauds Congressman Luis Gutierrez’s leadership in introducing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act (CIR A.S.A.P.) in the House of Representatives, This bill lays a foundation to fix the broken immigration system in 2010. It was introduced on December 15 with 89 original co-sponsors including members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Black Caucus, Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Progressive Caucus.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity (CIR A.S.A. P) Act of 2009 offers enhanced border protection, allows for immigrant families to reunite, and provides a way for many undocumented immigrants to earn legalization. Read a summary of the CIR A.S.A.P here.
This immigration bill (CIR A.S.A.P) is released just as U.S. Catholics prepare to celebrate National Migration Week 2010 scheduled for January 4 – 10 under the theme, Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice.
