Budgets Are Moral Documents:
A Campaign for Compassionate Priorities
Talking Points
As people of faith, we are deeply concerned that in a time of war and national tragedy Congress will continue to push forward two irresponsible actions:
More expensive tax cuts, for which there is no moral or economic justification
Deeper cuts in programs for low-income families
The delay in the budget reconciliation process presents us with a window of opportunity to push for cancellation of the budget reconciliation process altogether--the cancellation of both the $35 billion in required entitlement cuts and the $70 billion in additional tax breaks. We must remind policymakers and the press that taken together, these two bills will increase the deficit. In essence, cuts to Medicaid and Food Stamps are not going toward deficit reduction but toward partially paying for the tax cuts.
Key talking points on the budget:
Post-Katrina, Congress should not return to "business as usual."
The "budget reconciliation" process of cuts to anti-poverty programs and tax cuts has been postponed until mid-October, but should be canceled entirely. The last action we should take after the tragedy of Katrina is to plunge other families deeper into poverty by cutting vital programs like Medicaid and Food Stamps. Neither should Congress pursue new tax cuts for the wealthy, which worsen the deficit and provide assistance to those who need it least.
Domestic programs must not be singled out for cuts to pay for Katrina relief.
Low-income families must NOT be asked to bear the burden of expensive tax cuts or the costs of hurricane relief. The one-time costs of Katrina relief are affordable in the short run, but our nation faces severe long-term fiscal challenges, and those should be approached in a spirit of shared sacrifice. Congress should re-examine the tax side of the budget as well. Millionaires, who already receive $100,000 per year from past tax cuts, are slated for another $20,000 tax break starting Jan. 1. Surely, as a first step towards restoring fiscal discipline we can cancel this tax break, rather than asking for sacrifice from vulnerable populations and social supports that benefit the poor, which are already squeezed.
Congress has the opportunity to set new priorities and make the right choices this fall.
Budgets are moral documents! They are about priorities and choices. In the wake of the recent hurricanes, Congress has the chance to reassess its plans and set a new course--one that places a priority on meeting the needs of vulnerable families, including those directly impacted by the hurricanes, rather than cutting vital programs or dispensing unnecessary tax breaks to the wealthy that pile more debt on future generations. Congress can and should choose to do the right thing this fall.