Earlier this
week, Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons released a statement calling for “principle, not politics” in the so-called fiscal cliff
negotiations, and in a recent OPW blog post, we reviewed the major concerns surrounding the fiscal cliff and
its economic justice implications. But
it is not only the fiscal cliff that raises our concern at this time.
As the year
and the Congressional session draw to a close, there is so much left to
do. In addition to a remedy for the fiscal
cliff, Congress has also failed to take action on two of the PC(USA)’s domestic
legislative priorities for the year: reauthorizations of the Farm Bill and the
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Because of
the way negotiations are moving forward, it is with President Obama and Speaker
Boehner that the final decisions rest about what will get done and what will
wait. Despite the fact that it is
Congress’ job to complete legislative reauthorizations like the Farm Bill and
VAWA, we invite you to contact President Obama to ask him to ensure that these essential reauthorizations
are included in his final bargain with Speaker Boehner.
The Farm Bill – Just and Sustainable
Food Policy
The
Farm Bill expired on October 1, 2012.
Just and sustainable food policy has long been a priority of the
PC(USA), whose Presbyterian Hunger Program is a leading force demanding justice in the U.S. food
system. We have been calling for a Farm Bill that will:
- Reduce hunger and improve nutrition in the United States.
- Strengthen rural communities and combat rural poverty.
- Provide a fair and effective farmer safety net that allows farmers in the U.S. and around the world to earn economically sustainable livelihoods.
- Promote conservation and protect creation from environmental degradation.
- Protect the dignity, health, and safety of those responsible for working the land.
- Promote research related to alternative, clean, and renewable forms of energy that do not negatively impact food prices or the environment.
- Safeguard and improve international food aid in ways that encourage local food security and improve the nutritional quality of food aid.
We must not let
Congress ignore the Farm Bill reauthorization. Already the Farm Bill’s
expiration has thrown even more uncertainty into an inherently risky profession. But even without considering the costs to
U.S. farms, both small and large, the Farm Bill’s impact on hunger and
nutrition at home and around the world is tremendous. It contains too many vital programs to be
left for a new Congress. Furthermore, with the Fiscal Cliff looming ahead,
there are serious concerns that lawmakers will find significant deficit
reduction by cutting or making structural changes to the Farm Bill’s most
important anti-hunger program: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP
– formerly known as Food Stamps).
SNAP is one
of the most effective programs for reducing hunger and poverty. In 2011, when the sluggish economy and high
unemployment continued to plague workers in this country, SNAP kept 3.9 million
people above the poverty.[1]
SNAP’s structure makes it an elastic program that can automatically respond to
fluctuations in the economy. When times
are bad and more people are eligible for help, the program expands to provide
needed assistance. When the economy
improves, people go back to work, and the number of eligible people falls, the
SNAP rolls contract, reducing the cost and size of the program. The counter-cyclical nature of SNAP is
precisely the reason it is so good at reducing hunger – its very design makes
sure that it serves more people when times are hardest. Now is not the time to change that
fundamental structure. In the church, we
see the faces of hunger every day in our soup kitchens, food pantries, and
other ministries of mercy. We cannot
meet the need alone – only a public-private partnership where the government
provides robust assistance, will respond to the current need.
Make sure the President knows that you support a year-end deal that includes a
Farm Bill reauthorization that reflects the Senate-passed bill and that protects SNAP from further cuts.
Violence Against Women Act – Protection for
ALL Victims of Violence
The Violence
Against Women Act, enacted in 1994, recognizes the insidious and pervasive
nature of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and
it supports comprehensive, effective, and costs saving responses to these
crimes. VAWA programs, administered by
the Departments of Justice and Health & Human Services, give law
enforcement, prosecutors, and judges the tools they need to hold offenders
accountable and keep communities safe, while supporting victims. The current authorization of VAWA expired on
Oct. 1, 2011.
On April 26, 2012, the Senate passed a
bill (S. 1925) to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act with bipartisan
support. This bill strengthened protections for all victims, including
immigrants, Native women, and gay and lesbian victims. Unfortunately, the House
of Representatives passed a version of this bill that turns back the clock on
VAWA. The House bill lacks several of the protections included by the Senate -
in fact, some of the differences in the House bill would
actually increase the risk faced by some women.
So, before the end of the
year, Congress must
enact a VAWA reauthorization that includes the important improvements contained
in the bipartisan Senate bill. Again,
because the final deal of the year will be hashed out between President Obama
and Speaker Boehner, it is imperative that the President hears about the need to
include VAWA reauthorization, with language from S. 1925, in the final
deal. VAWA has never been a partisan
issue and it should not be held hostage by vitriolic political rhetoric. Our
commitment to ending domestic and intimate-partner violence goes beyond
partisan politics or the ideological divide.
[1]
"As Poverty Remains Unacceptably High, Coalition on Human Needs Calls on
Congress to Preserve Programs Proven to Lift Families
out of Poverty." Coalition of Human Needs. September 12, 2012.
