WASHINGTON—In
a letter today addressed to all members of Congress, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of
Venice, Florida, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice
and Human Development, called for legislators to consider bedrock moral
principles as they approach tax reform.

“The
U.S. bishops have long emphasized that ‘[t]he tax system should be continually
evaluated in terms of its impact on the poor,'” Bishop Dewane wrote. Quoting Pope Francis concerning the family,
Bishop Dewane stressed that “[t]hose services which society offers its citizens
are not a type of alms, but rather a genuine ‘social debt’ with respect to the
institution of the family, which is foundational and which contributes to the
common good.”

As
Congress formulates proposals for tax reform based on the “Unified Framework
for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code,” Bishop Dewane’s letter articulated six moral principles
that should guide lawmakers’ decisions:

Care
for the poor;

Strengthening
families;

Maintaining
progressivity of the tax code;

Raising
adequate revenue for the common good;

Avoiding
cuts to poverty programs to finance tax reform; and

Incentivizing
charitable giving and development.

Bishop
Dewane called on legislators to remember the poor and the common good when
considering taxes, writing that “you are urged to recognize the critical
obligation of creating a just framework aimed at the economic security of all
people, especially the least of these.”

The
full letter is available at: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/federal-budget/upload/Tax-Reform-Principles-Letter-Congress-2017-10-25.pdf.

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Keywords:
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Committee
on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Pope Francis, tax reform, U.S.
Congress, moral principles.

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Media Contact:
Judy
Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops