ELCA Presiding Bishop, Other Church Leaders Call for Moral Budget in 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America(ELCA), along with leaders of four other Christian denominations,sent a letter March 28 to members of the U.S. House Committee onthe Budget, calling for a budget in fiscal year 2007 "that meets the moral test of serving 'the common good'." The letter was signed by Hanson; the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church; the Rev.Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly,Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); the Rev. John H. Thomas, general minister and president, United Church of Christ; and the Rev.Beverly Shamana, bishop and the president of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society.

"We are leaders of five Protestant denominations representing close to 20 million Americans who believe in the biblical imperative to care for the 'least of these,'" the Christian leaders said in the letter. "This year we again raise our voices of concern as Congress begins the budget process anew." Last year, the same group of faith leaders wrote several letters opposing the fiscal year 2006 budget, which threatened cuts to food stamps, Medicaid and other services that benefit the poorest in American society. The most recent letter was written in response to President George W. Bush's fiscal year 2007 budget request, which was released in early February and is currently in the markup process in the House Committee on the Budget. "We see clearly that again this year there is economic injustice and an indifference to those most in need," the Christian leaders wrote in the letter. "This budget not only continues the trend of last year in cutting programs for those most vulnerable but contains even greater cuts in the years to come."

The Christian church leaders enumerated their specific concerns:
+ Treatment of children: "Domestically the president's budget cuts education funds as well as funds to states for special programs for children with disabilities. Internationally it cuts programs for child survival and health."
+ Treatment of women: "The president's budget cuts international family planning and domestically cuts the WIC program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children)."
+ Treatment of working families: "The president's budget cuts food stamps for working families and funding for child care assistance for low-income working families, and for families in which a parent is in a welfare-to-work program."
+ Treatment of the elderly: "The president's budget cuts housing for the elderly and cuts block grants that provide funds for those needing nutritional assistance and who are vulnerable to abuse."
+ Treatment of God's creation: "The president's budget cuts funding from programs for clean and safe water projects."
+ Treatment of those suffering from HIV/AIDS: "The president's budget cuts funding to the most effective multinational global program for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria."
+ Treatment of development assistance: "The president's budget reduces traditional international development assistance and the Community Development Block Grant program for affordable housing and public infrastructure projects."

"We remember the words of Isaiah 58," the letter concluded."'If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness.' We pray that during this budget process, light will indeed rise and that Congress will not only remember the hungry and afflicted but will respond to them with justice and fairness for all."