wfn.org | [ENS] Presiding Bishop's statement on President Bush's 2006 federal

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@mail.epicom.org>]

Tuesday, February 8, 2005

Statement on the President's FY'06 budget by the Most Rev. Frank T.
Griswold, Presiding Bishop And Primate of the Episcopal Church, USA

ENS 020805-2

[ENS] The Presiding Bishop today offered the following commentary on
President Bush's FY'06 budget request:

In the life of our nation, one of the most concrete expressions of our
shared moral values and priorities is the federal budget. In examining
whether a budget properly reflects America's values, the Church is
called to
ask the following questions:

* Is the budget compassionate? Jesus tells his followers to "be
compassionate, as your Heavenly Father is compassionate." But compassion
is
just an abstraction unless we make it real in our lives. A compassionate
nation must use its common resources not just for matters like security
and
national defense, but also to respond to the Gospel command to care for
the
least among us.
* Does the budget strive to serve the human family, both at home and
around
the world? Our nation is part of a community that stretches beyond our
borders. This gives us an imperative to use our common resources to
combat
poverty, disease, injustice, and instability wherever they occur, but
most
of all in places where the need is greatest.
* Does the budget serve the common good? Jesus tells us that "from
everyone
to whom much has been given, much will be required." While we hear a
great
deal in the secular world about creating an "ownership society," the
ethic
of Christian stewardship teaches us that the resources we possess are
God's
alone, merely held in trust by human hands. In a nation of such immense
prosperity, our budget must seek to use our resources not just for our
own
good, but broadly for the good of the entire human family.

While there are some areas in President Bush's budget that give me hope,
I
am deeply disheartened by others. As Congress begins its budget
deliberations and the Administration negotiates with them, there are a
number of areas I hope they will consider anew. In particular, I am
concerned that this budget neglects and exacerbates our nation's
healthcare
crisis, especially for children and seniors, and fails to honor the
commitments our nation has made to combating poverty and disease
overseas.
Such a budget is not a reflection of the compassionate values of our
nation,
nor of the Gospel's command to care for the least among us.

HEALTHCARE

Forty-five million Americans today lack access to quality and affordable
health care, an increase of five million over the past three years. This
budget exacerbates the problem by recommending deep cuts in Medicaid, of
which the most bruising impact of these cuts will fall upon the neediest
in
our midst: the poor, children, senior citizens, and the disabled and
states
will be hard-pressed to make up the difference. If our federal budget is
to
reflect the values of the American people, it must better care for the
neediest among us.

POVERTY AND DISEASE ABROAD

Two years ago, I warmly applauded the President's call for $15 billion
to
combat HIV/AIDS overseas and his creation of the Millennium Challenge
Account (MCA) to combat poverty and instability around the world. These
are
areas of deep concern for me, especially as I consider the plight of our
27
million Anglican brothers and sisters who live in sub-Saharan Africa.
While
I am gratified to see that both program areas received small increases
over
last year's funding levels, I am concerned that they continue to fall
short
of the commitments the President has made. In particular, I am troubled
that
the budget, for the second time in two years, significantly cuts the
U.S.
contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
and
funds the MCA at just 60 percent of its promised level. These figures
are
particularly problematic when viewed alongside the budget's other cuts
in
foreign-aid programs. As the President has observed in the past, our
nation's efforts to c!
ombat poverty and disease abroad are not just a matter of humanitarian
obligation, but a necessity in building a more secure and stable world.

AID FOR THE PALESTINIANS

One area of the budget that gives me hope is the provision of $150
million
in aid to the Palestinian people. It is my sincere prayer that this is a
signal that the United States has re-committed itself to helping to lead
a
political process to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At this
unique
moment of opportunity, the vision of a two-state solution is coming back
into focus, giving me hope that Palestinians and Israelis may both soon
live
in freedom and security.

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