Christian leaders ask Obama to protect programs for the poor

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

Religious Leaders Meet with President and ask Him to form 'Circle of Protec 
tion' around Programs for those in Need 

Washington, July 20, 2011 - In a meeting with President Obama and senior Wh ite 
House staff this afternoon, national Christian leaders asked the presid ent to 
protect funding for programs for hungry and poor people in the ongoi ng budget 
debate and in any deal concerning the default crisis.

All agreed that we can get our fiscal house in order without doing so on th e 
backs of those who are most vulnerable. The shared concern was to cut the  
deficit in a way that protects the safety net, protects the vulnerable, an d 
maintains our investments in the future.

Christian leaders at today's meeting included representatives from the Nati 
onal Council of Churches, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Uni ted 
States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bread for the World, Sojourners,  the 
Alliance to End Hunger, the Salvation Army, the National African Ameri can 
Clergy Network, the National Baptist Convention of America, the Evangel ical 
Lutheran Church in America, and the National Hispanic Christian Leader ship 
Conference.

They are part of the "Circle of Protection," a nonpartisan movement that in 
sists budgets are moral documents and that poor and vulnerable people shoul d 
be protected-not targeted-in efforts to reduce long-term deficits. White  House 
staff in the meeting included Senior Advisory Valerie Jarrett, Direct or of 
Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes and Director of the Office of F aith 
Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois.

Leaders have been urging policy makers to recognize that a commitment to pr 
otect vulnerable people is a moral-not partisan-concern. They will continue  to 
talk with policy makers as well as educate other Christians and voters  about 
the moral issues at stake in the budget.

"As Christian leaders, we are committed to fiscal responsibility and shared  
sacrifice. We are also committed to resist budget cuts that undermine the  
lives, dignity, and rights of poor and vulnerable people," the leaders wrot e 
in a joint statement. "Therefore, we join with others to form a circle of  
protection around programs that meet the essential needs of hungry and poo r 
people at home and abroad."

The Circle of Protection statement has been signed by more than 60 heads of  
Christian denominations and religious organizations, and endorsed by 45 he ads 
of development agencies as well as leaders of other faiths. The Circle  of 
Protection movement has worked to uphold the bipartisan consensus that h as 
long prevailed in deficit-reduction agreements-that programs serving poo r and 
hungry people should be protected and exempted from any automatic cut s.

"As Christian leaders, we urge Congress and the administration to give mora l 
priority to programs that protect the life and dignity of poor and vulner able 
people in these difficult times, our broken economy, and our wounded w orld," 
they wrote.

National Council of Churches representatives at the meeting included the Re v. 
Dr. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in  
America, and the Rev. Michael Livingston, director of the NCC's poverty ini 
tiative.
 
Leaders will host a teleconference tomorrow morning, July 21 at 11:30 AM ET . 
Media are invited to dial 888-296-4205 to participate. For more informati on 
and to view the full list of signatories, visit www.circleofprotection.u s.

>---

>For more information contact:
> 
>Kristen Youngblood,  (202) 423-7379 cell,   (202) 688-1118 office, ky 
>oungblood@bread.org
>Racine Hamilton, (202) 688-1138 office; (301) 922-8417 cell, rhamilton@brea 
>d.org   
>Tim King, (202) 745-4636 office; (202) 631-7763 cell, tking@sojo.net  
>Evan Trowbridge, (202)-745-4625 office; etrowbridge@sojo.net   

>---

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ  in 
the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical witness among C 
hristians in the United States. The NCC's 37 member communions -- from a wi de 
spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic Africa n 
American and Living Peace churches -- include 45 million persons in more  than 
100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 646-853-4212 ( 
cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org