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ELCA Presiding Bishop, Other Leaders Call for Compassionate Federal Budget


From <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>
Date Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:21:56 -0600

Title: ELCA Presiding Bishop, Other Leaders Call for Compassionate Federal Budget ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 16, 2007

ELCA Presiding Bishop, Other Leaders Call for Compassionate Federal Budget 07-023-AL

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), joined leaders of four other Christian denominations Feb. 15 in sending a letter to all members of the U.S. Congress, calling for a compassionate and just federal budget in 2008.

"As the leaders of five denominations whose members helped shape the core values of this nation from its founding, we believe the federal budget must represent a shared vision of justice and compassion for all of God's people, both in our own nation and around the world,'" said the letter.

President George W. Bush sent his fiscal year 2008 budget request to Congress in early February. The letter, written in response, was signed by Hanson; the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); the Rev. Beverly J. Shamana, bishop and president of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society; and the Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president, United Church of Christ.

"Not surprisingly, we find that the FY '08 federal budget meets our vision in some areas but decidedly not in others," said the letter. "We are grateful for increases in international- assistance programs, and call upon Congress to ensure that equally critical domestic spending receives similar increases. Those increases must not come, however, at the expense of the unprecedented advances this budget makes in fighting poverty and disease abroad."

The leaders cited their specific domestic concerns: + Nutrition programs: "Termination of food assistance to 440,000 low-income seniors in an average month" would result from the (proposed) cuts. + Energy assistance: "Despite recent increases in the cost of heating and reaching only 23 percent of eligible households in FY '06, energy assistance to poor families, the elderly and the disabled would be cut." + Children's health: "Allocated funds in the budget would not cover all those presently enrolled in SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), much less expand coverage to eligible others." + Child care: "Funding for child care for children in low- and moderate-income families would be frozen, even as inflation causes the cost of providing child care to rise." + Head Start: "Funding cuts would leave programs with the choice of reducing the number of children served or the quality of the programs." + Housing: "Programs for the low-income, elderly and people with disabilities would be cut." + Social services block grant: "Funds for states to provide basic services to vulnerable low-income children, seniors and people with disabilities would be cut." + Health care: "Proposed $13 billion Medicaid cuts over five years would shift costs to states, that may result in their providing less health care for low-income beneficiaries."

"These cuts are especially disheartening when combined with the fading from view of the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma," said the letter. "We have forgotten all too quickly the stark portrait of poverty in America that emerged from those disasters."

The leaders applauded increases in international assistance, including an "unprecedented" increase in funds to address HIV and AIDS to $5.4 billion; an increase in the Millennium Challenge Account to $3 billion; and an increase for humanitarian and peacekeeping programs in Sudan.

Quoting the Gospel of St. Matthew -- "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" -- the leaders concluded the letter, "It is our prayer that our federal budget will put our treasure into programs that show our hearts to be compassionate and just. For in doing so, we will strengthen all of God's people and, in return, our nation."

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The full text of the letter is at

http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy/issues/fedbudget/07-02-15-jointstatement.html on the ELCA Web site.

More information about the ELCA's advocacy ministries is at http://www.ELCA.org/advocacy on the ELCA Web site.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog


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