US bishops: preserve child tax credit, charitable deduction, unemployment compensation

December 21, 2012

Reflecting on “the moral and human dimensions of how to reduce unsustainable federal deficits,” the bishops who chair two committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urged members of Congress to place a “‘circle of protection’ around programs that serve our brothers and sisters who are poor and vulnerable.”

As members of Congress discussed impending automatic tax increases and spending cuts, Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice, and Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Human Development, wrote in support of preserving the charitable deduction, the child tax credit, and the earned income credit.

“People at home and abroad rely on the support provided by many discretionary programs to achieve basic economic security for themselves and their families,” the bishops also stated. “Programs like poverty-focused international assistance, affordable housing and community development, education, and workforce development help guarantee basic human rights for millions of people. Billions of dollars have already been cut from them over the past two years, and sequestration threatens to take even more resources.”

“Extending Emergency Unemployment Compensation is imperative,” the bishops continued, adding:

It is in our nation’s interest that Congress act in a bipartisan manner to replace sequestration with a balanced and thoughtful alternative that calls for shared sacrifice by all, eliminates unnecessary spending, addresses the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly, and raises adequate revenues: “In a system of taxation based on justice and equity it is fundamental that the burdens be proportioned to the capacity of the people contributing” (Mater et Magistra, No. 132). Additional savings could be achieved by cutting nuclear weapons programs or direct agricultural subsidies.

 

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Further information:

• Bishops Urge Retention Of Charitable Deduction, Other Tax Credits And Programs As Nation Approaches “Fiscal Cliff” (USCCB)
• Full text of letter (USCCB)