Monday, March 13, 2017
Washington D.C.- On
Thursday morning, leaders in the faith community gathered with members of the
Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and their staffers to discuss matters of
common concern. The meeting was called by Office of Public Witness
Director Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, who when asked about the urgency of such an event
said, “the premature and unwise actions of the Trump administration in the
first months of his administration have become a rallying cry of protest for
many of us. We hope to discuss opportunities to partner together in resisting
many of the political actions which will bring harm to the poor and
disadvantaged.” The meeting took place at 10 AM in the office of CBC Chair, North
Carolina 1st District Representative G. K. Butterfield. Also in attendance
were Heads of Office from a broad range of religious traditions including the
ELCA, The Religious Action Center for Reformed Judaism, and the National
Council of Churches.
Legislative Assistant to
Rep. Butterfield, Edward Hill fielded questions and concerns from faith leaders
on topics ranging from public benefits to immigration. He encouraged faith
leaders to reach out to their representatives and provide them with moral
arguments for preventing increased military spending and preserving safety net
and education programs. Chief of Staff to Rep. Butterfield, Troy G. Clair
stressed the importance of continuing to mobilize the faith community to show
up, disrupt, and be a moral voice for justice at town halls, particularly those
hosted by Members of Congress who are making decisions that will cause many
Americans to fall below the poverty line and lose healthcare.
Texas 18th
District Representative Sheila Jackson Lee also made remarks at this meeting
and spoke on the current political climate from her vantage point. She recounted
how the social safety net is being attacked from all fronts, from efforts to repeal
the Affordable Care Act to the recently announced cuts to the Housing and Urban
Development budget. She discussed how these actions would devastate the lives
of people across this nation, many of them congregants of the faith groups
represented in the room. She encouraged faith leaders to heed the command, “get
up and walk,” stating that this is the time for faith groups to hold their own
town halls and advocacy meetings. She said that more than ever before, it is
necessary for faith groups to be a prophetic voice for justice in a time when
the most vulnerable in our society are being actively marginalized.
Faith leaders expressed
interest in a continued dialogue with CBC members and staff, and will continue
to explore opportunities to co-create a justice agenda in 2017 and beyond.
