U.S. Bishops Send Letter in Advance of President Trump’s Proposed Budget Emphasizing the Need for Spending Priorities Promoting the Common Good
WASHINGTON— Six Chairmen of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops have released a letter in advance of the
anticipated unveiling of President Donald J. Trump’s full budget plan tomorrow.
That proposed budget is expected to call
for a sharp increase in military spending while making significant cuts across
much of the rest of government, including the planned elimination of dozens of
long-standing federal programs that assist the poor and vulnerable.
In letters to both the United States House
of Representatives and the United States Senate sent May 19, the bishops
reaffirmed the federal budget as a moral document containing profound
implications for the common good of our nation and world. The letter states
that the “budget requires difficult decisions that ought to be guided by moral
criteria that protect human life and dignity, give central importance to ‘the
least of these’ (Matthew 25), and promote the welfare of workers and families
who struggle to live in dignity.”
The letter was signed by Cardinal Timothy
Dolan, Archbishop of New York, Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities,
Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and
Human Development, Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, Chairman, Committee on
International Justice and Peace, Bishop George V. Murry, SJ, of Youngstown,
Chairman, Committee on Catholic Education, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, of
Burlington, Chairman, Committee on Communications, and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of
Austin, Chairman, Committee on Migration.
The full text of the letter sent to the
U.S. Senate/U.S. House of Representatives is available at:
Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops, USCCB, federal budget, United States Senate, United States House of
Representatives, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Bishop Oscan
Cantú, Bishop George V. Murry, Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, Bishop Joe S.
Vásquez , moral document, common good, human life, human dignity, families,
workers, military expenditures, health care, retirement, fiscal policy, health
insurance, discretionary spending, immigration, tax policy, nuclear weapons,
diplomacy, conflicts, Syria, Iraq, anti-poverty programs, reconciliation,
income security, education, peace.
###
Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200
