December, 20 2017, 12:30pm EDT
Sister Simone Campbell Responds to Passage of H.R. 1
In response to the passage of the Republican Tax Bill, Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice issued the following statement:
"Congress rushed this bill through quickly to reward their wealthy friends and donors claiming it is a Christmas gift for working Americans. This is a lie.
WASHINGTON
In response to the passage of the Republican Tax Bill, Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice issued the following statement:
"Congress rushed this bill through quickly to reward their wealthy friends and donors claiming it is a Christmas gift for working Americans. This is a lie.
"We know what will happen now that this tax plan is law: the budget shortfall created by outrageous tax cuts for the wealthiest will pressure Republicans in Congress to, once again, balance the budget on the backs of people in poverty. President Trump and Speaker Ryan have already called for cuts to vital life-saving programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and food programs. NETWORK will fight to make sure families, workers, and other vulnerable people will not pay for this tax giveaway to the wealthy.
"As people of faith, we advocate for reasonable revenue for responsible programs. Responsible programs are lifelines for families and individuals struggling to make ends meet. We know that we belong to each other. We share a responsibility to ensure that all people can live in dignity. Instead of securing the reasonable revenue our nation needs, this bill was written by and for corporate lobbyists and donors full of self-interest with no regard for the common good.
"The Republican tax bill cannot stand the test of public scrutiny- it was written behind closed doors and passed in various forms in the middle of the night- but still Republicans pursue their dream of failed trickle-down economics while ignoring the needs of our nation.
"Urgent emergencies that need real legislation- CHIP, DACA, and disaster relief - have been cast aside in this rush to serve the interests of the affluent.
"This Christmas season, it is critical to remember that Jesus was born to parents who experienced poverty, did not have healthcare, and could not find shelter for the birth of their child. In Bethlehem, Jesus and his parents were turned away by the wealthiest. Later in the Gospels, Jesus reminds us, 'whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' The House and the Senate Republicans caused great harm to our nation by passing this tax bill.
"It is crystal-clear who the Republican Members of Congress serve, and it is not the men, women, and children who Jesus championed. "
NETWORK, advocates for justice inspired by Catholic sisters, educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. They have a more than 40-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good.
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Despite the Pentagon's repeated failures to pass audits and various alarming policies, 81 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with 200 Republicans on Wednesday to advance a $883.7 billion annual defense package.
The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, unveiled by congressional negotiators this past Saturday, still needs approval from the Senate, which is expected to vote next week. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Wednesday that he plans to vote no and spoke out against the military-industrial complex.
The push to pass the NDAA comes as this congressional session winds down and after the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced last month that it had failed yet another audit—which several lawmakers highlighted after the Wednesday vote.
Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), co-chairs and co-founders of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, said in a joint statement, "Time and time again, Congress seems to be able to find the funds necessary to line the pockets of defense contractors while neglecting the problems everyday Americans face here at home."
"Instead of fighting the rising cost of healthcare, gas, or groceries, this Congress prioritized rewarding the wealthy and well-connected military-industrial complex with even more unaccountable funds," they continued. "After a seventh failed audit in a row, it's disappointing that our amendment to hold the Pentagon accountable by penalizing the DOD's budget by 0.5% for each failed audit was stripped out of the final bill. It's time Congress demanded accountability from the Pentagon."
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Several of the 124 House Democrats who voted against the NDAA cited those "culture war" policies, in addition to concerns about how the Pentagon spends massive amounts of money that could go toward improving lives across the country.
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