wfn.org | [ENS] Bishops work on key policy issues during stint in

["mika larson" <mini.mika@verizon.net>]

Washington

10/8/2003  

Bishops work on key policy issues during stint in Washington

[Episcopal News Service] With members of Congress working to end the
first session of the 108th Congress by mid-November, 13 Episcopal
bishops came to Washington to discuss two key policy issues for the
church - full funding for President Bush's Global AIDS initiative and
increased funding for child care in welfare authorization.  

The key part of the week was visits with their senators and members of
Congress during which the bishops communicated their concerns for
children and for the devastating global AIDS pandemic.	"The bishops
spoke eloquently about child care issues in their own communities and
the affects of AIDS on the Anglican Communion in sub-Saharan Africa,
where 95% of the 15 million children orphaned by AIDS reside," said
Maureen Shea, director of Office of Government Relations for the
Episcopal Church.  The 13 bishops represented 11 states and met with 37
Members of Congress and/or their key staff. 

Bishop Thomas Shaw of Boston, who served as an intern in the office of
Representative Amo Houghton (R-NY), Bishop Neff Powell of the Diocese of
Southwestern Virginia, who was an intern in the church's Office of
Government Relations, and Bishop Herb Donovan, coordinator of the
College for Bishops, were inspired by their own experience with public
policy advocacy to develop this session entitled, Public Issues, Public
Figures. The week featured presentations by key church-advocacy partners
such as Paul Zeitz, M.D., and David Gartner of the Global AIDS Alliance
and Shelley Waters Boots of the Children's Defense Fund.  

When the Senate returns October 13, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) will offer
an AIDS amendment to the $87 billion Supplemental Budget for military
and reconstruction in Iraq.  The bishops expressed their support for
Durbin's amendment which would divert $880 million of the proposed
reconstruction money to AIDS education, treatment and awareness programs
in 14 countries in Africa and the Caribbean, and therefore fully fund
the promise to provide $3 billion for global AIDS spending for 2004.	

Child care issues   

The bishops also voiced their concern about the need for increased child
care funds for the working poor, particularly in light of additional
work requirements in the welfare reauthorization bill (known as TANF -
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families).  "Child care issues are near
and dear to my heart.  My own daughter is a childcare provider," Bishop
Thomas Ely of the Diocese of Vermont told Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
during a meeting with him and senior staff.  Bishop Ely is a point
person for the House of Bishops' advocacy concerning the protection of
children.  

The topic of accessible, affordable child care was further explored in a
roundtable with Episcopal members of Congress, which included a
discussion about Congressional initiatives with Senator Blanche Lincoln
of Arkansas, a leading sponsor of legislation calling for increased
spending on child care programs. Ten of the Episcopal Members of
Congress met with the bishops during a reception that followed, hosted
by Representative Houghton.

This month's College for Bishops' session, held on Capitol Hill and at
the Virginia Theological Seminary, was its fourth annual meeting and the
first on their role in public policy.  The program is designed to
provide opportunities to hear from expert opinion-makers, to engage in
theological reflection, and to attend skill-building workshops in a
variety of areas. The bishops started each day with bible study, and
used the week for extensive meetings with the Government Relations staff
as well as for participating in a media training session.  

-- prepared by staff at the church's Office of Government Relations.