wfn.org | Religious Leaders Speak Against Bush Proposed Tax Cut

[carolf@ncccusa.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2252; www.ncccusa.org
NCC4/5/01  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

	April 5, 2001, WASHINGTON, D.C. - A panel of religious leaders today spoke 
out against the tax cuts proposed by President Bush as "too inequitable" 
and "too large."

They released a statement whose initial 18 Christian and Jewish signatories 
represent the beginnings of a new "Religious Community for Responsible Tax 
Policy," which asserts that "responsible tax policy should be structured so 
that the poorest households benefit."

Their congregations and agencies, at work in impoverished communities, are 
first-hand witnesses to human need, they said.

	"As millions of people - parents and children, the elderly, people with 
disabilities and the working poor - are driven to seek charity to meet 
their most basic needs, we are appalled that the focus of attention in this 
Congressional session is not on meeting their needs; rather, it is on tax 
cuts that will mostly benefit the affluent," they said.

	The Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of 
Churches, moderated today's news conference. "There's no budget surplus if 
there are still people living in poverty," he said.

Also addressing the news conference were Sister Anne Curtis of Network, a 
National Catholic Social Justice Lobby; Mark Pelavin, Associate Director of 
the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; the Rev. John Buehrens, 
President, Unitarian Universalist Association, and George Regas of the 
Regas Institute.

The religious leaders' full statement follows, along with a list of 
signatories to date:

"As representatives of the faith community we believe that government is 
intended to serve God's purposes by promoting the common good.  Paying 
taxes to enable government to provide for the needs of society is an 
appropriate expression of our stewardship.  We believe the United States of 
America should have a responsible tax policy for all people, particularly 
the most vulnerable.

"We are gravely concerned with the current tax cut proposals initiated by 
President Bush and being debated and passed by Congress.  As millions of 
people - parents and children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and 
the working poor - are driven to seek charity to meet their most basic 
needs, we are appalled that the focus of attention in this Congressional 
session is not on meeting their needs; rather, it is on tax cuts that will 
mostly benefit the affluent.

"Polls show that the American people do not want a tax cut if it means cuts 
in spending for social programs.  The size and magnitude of these tax cut 
proposals endanger the very programs that the majority of people in our 
country need and support.  If the surpluses do not materialize as 
projected, a huge tax cut that is passed this year would require spending 
cuts in public education, health care, Social Security, Medicare, economic 
development, poverty, homelessness and international development assistance 
for the next decade and beyond.  These are the very programs in which our 
nation should invest.

"It is a disgrace that in this rich country 43 million people have no 
health coverage and that nearly five million renter households spend over 
50% of their meager incomes for shelter or live in substandard housing, 
while the number of affordable rental housing units continues to decline. 
 Soaring utility costs will only worsen their plight.  While unemployment 
is at an all-time low, millions of people work at wages so low that they 
cannot support their families.  They are the ones who will suffer the most 
as the economy weakens.

"Responsible tax policy should be structured so that the poorest households 
benefit.  For example, we support increasing the child tax credit and 
making it refundable so that all families who are too poor to owe income 
taxes but pay other federal taxes may receive a credit.  We also support an 
expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).  We support the 
President's proposal to allow non-itemizers to claim a tax deduction for 
their charitable contributions because we believe this will encourage 
people to give more to charities that work to address human need.  But we 
do not believe that charitable contributions should be expected to replace 
government investment.

"Let us be clear, we oppose the tax cut proposal initiated by President 
Bush and currently moving through Congress.  It is too inequitable, too 
large, and threatens the future well being of our nation."

Curtis Ramsey-Lucas
Director of Legislative Advocacy, National Ministries
American Baptist Churches, USA

Mary Ellen McNish
General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee

Rev. David Beckmann
President, Bread for the World

Rabbi Paul J. Menitoff
Executive Vice President, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rev. Ken Brooker Langston
Co-Convener, Disciples Advocacy Washington Network
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Rev. Jerrye G. Champion
President, Church Women United

Rev. H. George Anderson
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Joe Volk
Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quaker)

Rabbi Daniel Polish
Director, Joint Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism

Jose¢ Ortiz
Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee of U.S.

Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar
General Secretary, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

Kathy Thornton, RSM
National Coordinator, NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie
President, Union of American Hebrew Congregations

Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President, United Church of Christ

Bishop Melvin G. Talbert
Ecumenical Officer, Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church

James E. Winkler
General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society in the United 
Methodist Church

Lois Dauway
Assistant General Secretary, Section of Christian Social Responsibility
Women's Division, United Methodist Church

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