WASHINGTON— After the Trump Administration released its federal
budget proposal, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop
for the Military Services, USA, chairman of the Committee on International
Justice and Peace, and the Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of Venice,
Florida, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on
Domestic Justice and Human Development, expressed deep concerns about many of
the priorities outlined in the blueprint, and called on Congress to “ensure a
budget for our country that honors our obligations to build toward the common
good.”

The full statement follows:

“The federal budget is a moral document, and the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops has consistently urged our national
leaders to consider important principles when deciding how to steward the
finite resources entrusted to it by the American people. Budget decisions ought to be guided by moral
criteria that safeguard human life and dignity, give central importance to ‘the
least of these,’ and promote the well-being of workers and families who
struggle to live in dignity. Our nation must never seek to balance the budget
on the backs of the poor at home and abroad.

Earlier today, President Trump unveiled a budget plan,
‘Efficient, Effective, Accountable: An American Budget,’ that again calls for
deep cuts to vital parts of government, including underfunding programs that
serve the poor, diplomacy, and environmental stewardship. At the same time, the plan calls for increases
in immigration enforcement spending and further increases in military spending,
including on nuclear weapons. Prohibiting
certain abortion providers from receiving federal funds and providing increased
resources to combat opioid addiction is commendable. However, we urge Congress—and every American—to
evaluate the Administration’s budget blueprint in light of its impacts on those
most in need, and work to ensure a budget for our country that honors our
obligations to build toward the common good.”

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,
USCCB, Archbishop Timothy
P. Broglio, Committee on International Justice and Peace, Bishop Frank J.
Dewane, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Trump Administration,
U.S. Congress, budget plan, human life, dignity, military spending, federal
funding, abortion, opioid addiction, common good

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops