USCCB: bishop criticizes House Republicans’ budget proposal
July 21, 2017
The chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development criticized the House Republicans’ budget proposal, which was approved in a July 19 committee vote.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Fl., characterized the proposal as inferior to Obama-era budget resolutions, stating that “the bipartisan approach to discretionary spending in recent years, while imperfect, reflected a more balanced compromise given competing priorities.”
The House Republicans’ proposal “assumes the harmful and unacceptable cuts to Medicaid from the American Health Care Act,” the prelate said.
“Steady increases to military spending in the resolution are made possible by cutting critical resources for those in need over time, including potentially from important programs like SNAP that provide essential nutrition to millions of people,” he continued. “Reducing deficits through cuts for human needs—while simultaneously attempting a tax cut, as this proposal does—will place millions of poor and vulnerable people in real jeopardy.”
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Further information:
- House Budget Resolution Places Poor in Jeopardy Says U.S. Bishops Chairman (USCCB)
- House committee advances budget (The Hill)
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Jul. 23, 2017 11:44 PM ET USA
I propose what I consider a better way to help the poor, a time-honored, time-tested way. Require that half the income taxes paid to the fed are redirected to the charity of your choice, which could be a religious organization such as the Catholic Church. Given proper pastoral management of these funds (e.g., earmarked to teach the poor how to fish), this would free the Church to carry out the corporal works of mercy that she has been ill-equipped to do since implementation of confiscatory taxes
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Posted by: FredC -
Jul. 23, 2017 8:57 AM ET USA
Because Democrats vote as a block, a bill is bipartisan only when some Republicans join the Democrats.
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Posted by: brenda22890 -
Jul. 22, 2017 7:07 AM ET USA
The poor are in jeopardy precisely because there are no means for them to climb out of the ranks of the poor. The Obama era budgets did not provide a way out, but a way to continue being enslaved to government handouts. And Obama's military weakness spawned the Iran nuclear capabilities as well as North Korea's.
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Posted by: aclune9083 -
Jul. 21, 2017 10:42 PM ET USA
"Steady increases to military spending in the resolution are made possible by cutting critical resources for those in need over time.." And how does the good bishop expect a woefully under-funded military (the legacy of the Obama presidency) protect his country, thereby enabling all of us to grapple with meeting the needs of the poor? Let the good bishop tend to the flock--sorely in need of shepherding--and stay out of the political arena, where his ignorance is not helpful.
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Posted by: james-w-anderson8230 -
Jul. 21, 2017 10:08 PM ET USA
If the USCCB spent less money supporting anti-catholic organizations through their CCHD they would have more money to aid the poor.
