Action Alert: Congress, Protect the Human Rights of Migrants!

It’s almost the end of July and the season of Congressional appropriations is in full swing! By September 30, Congress must pass 12 different appropriations bills to fund the U.S. government for fiscal year 2016.[1] One of these appropriations packages, the State Department and Foreign Operations bill, includes various forms of aid to other countries.

The House version of the bill (H.R. 2772) conditions humanitarian aid funding for Central American countries on their commitment to improving border security and interdicting migrants, particularly unaccompanied minors, trying to reach México and eventually the United States. [2]

The Northern Triangle of Central America-- Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras-- have erupted into levels of incomprehensible violence due to the rising control of gangs and lack of economic opportunity. The mass exodus of Central American children and families has been the result.[3] These conditional provisions in the bill seek to strategically keep Central Americans from ever reaching our southern border. The United States has already begun this process to externalize our southern border. Since last year, the U.S. has funded, armed, and trained Mexican, Honduran, and Guatemalan law enforcement to stop migration from Central America, without regard to the well-being or human rights of migrants.[4] The provisions in the House bill would amplify these efforts to keep Central Americans from exercising their internationally guaranteed right to flee trafficking, persecution, and violence as asylum seekers [5] to the United States and other countries.

We must not continue down this path. Instead, we should be investing in protection and post-repatriation services for migrants, along with addressing the root causes of migration—violence and poverty.

Contact your Senator and Representatives about appropriations for Central American countries!

The Senate version of the bill (S. 1725) does not include these damaging conditions. It does, however, include positive provisions to condition assistance to Northern Triangle countries on their efforts to combat corruption and ensure transparency, protect human rights, implement policies and reforms to address root causes of poverty and violence, and reform the police and the role of military forces in policing, among many.[6]

When the House and Senate go to conference to reconcile their two bills, we want provisions like those in the Senate bill to remain and border security provisions like those in the House to be eliminated.

What does the PC(USA) say about asylum-seekers and refugees?

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has affirmed many times (1990, 1994, 1999, and 2014) [7] the need for U.S. immigration policy to protect the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers, in accordance with the Gospel mandate to care for the most vulnerable.

In 1990, the 202^nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) resolved that any immigration-related policy must “uphold international standards and accords regarding protection to refugees and persons in refugee-like situations…” and “address the U.S. economic, political, and military policies that may contribute to conditions compelling human displacement and migration.”[8]

Tell Congress that you want your tax dollars to protect, not transgress the rights of migrants.

Primarily Central American migrants board a Mexican freight train known as
 'La Bestia," "The Beast" to reach the U.S. border.
Source: www.macleans.ca 

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[1] The past few years, Congress has not passed all twelve bills before the deadline, so all twelve bills have been wrapped into one “omnibus bill.” Read more here: https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/federal-budget-process/

[2] https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2772?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22hr2772%5C%22%22%5D%7D

[3]http://www.wola.org/commentary/3_myths_about_central_american_migration_to_the_us

[4] http://jesuits.org/Assets/Publications/File/US_Border_Externalization_2014_v1.pdf

[5] http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

[6] https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1725/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22s1725%5C%22%22%5D%7D

[7] 35.143. Pp 520; 30.141. Pp. 243; “Transformation of Churches and Society through Encounter with New Neighbors.” PC(USA) Statement. Pp. 353-355; Commissioner Resolution. On the Global Crisis for LGBT People and Their Families: A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Response. 09-20. http://pc-biz.org/PC-Biz.WebApp_deploy/(S(ips21ra3w0zttk2dvlduyrgf))/Explorer.aspx?id=5073

[8] 35.143. Pp. 520.

Action Alert: Congress Needs to Reauthorize Child Nutrition Programs!

Even after the economic recovery, food insecurity in the United States remains at staggering rates: 49 million people live in food insecure households.[1] One in five children live at risk of hunger every day.[2] Katie Klabusich, a policy writer, who has experienced hunger, defined food insecurity in the U.S. as eating “just enough so that you aren't really hungry, just enough so you can put one foot in front of the other, just enough so you can push your body through another workday. ”[3]

 

Although thousands of nonprofits and faith communities (like many of your churches) offer food assistance, they only provide one of every twenty grocery bags that those who are food insecure receive.[4] Federal nutrition programs stand in this gap. We need both.

 

Child nutrition programs, encompassed in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, include the School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Summer Food Service Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (food assistance to child and adult care institutions). This legislation also includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. The act expires on September 30, 2015 and must be reauthorized before then.

 

Congress is taking up this legislation now. Make sure your Senators and Representative know where you stand.

 

WIC, school breakfast and lunch, after-school snack, and summer meals work together to fight childhood hunger. 21.5 million children eat a free or reduced school lunch everyday. However, gaps still exist: only four of every seven children who eat school lunch also eat school breakfast. Only one in seven participate in summer meals, often because many families cannot reach or are too far away from summer meal sites.[5]

The WIC program serves more than 8 million low-income women and children annually. Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women and their children up to age 5 are eligible for these benefits. There are four components of the highly successful program: nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, healthcare and social service referrals, and a nutritious food package. Participation in WIC contributes to healthier births, lower rates of anemia, and more nutritious diets for both the mother and her children.[6]

 

2015 Legislative Concerns

 

In the past, these programs have received broad bipartisan support. School lunch was first legislated in 1946 and expanded during the War on Poverty; WIC was enacted in 1974. Now, they are under increased scrutiny due to partisan politics.

 

This year, faith advocates are concerned that improvements in the 2010 legislation, such as heightened nutrition standards and funding for farm-to-school programs, will be scaled back. In addition, we are concerned that funding for child nutrition programs and other social safety net programs like food stamps will be cut. Lastly, we are worried that legislation will include legal-status documentation requirements for school meal eligibility. The school meals program is the only federal nutrition program that does not require documentation of legal status.[7] This is one way that Congressional members could insert their position on the rights undocumented immigrants should have in our society.

 

Improvements to Child Nutrition Programs

 

Source: http://www.cbpp.org/school-districts-and-schools-that-
are-eligible-for-the-school-meals-community-eligibility-provision

A promising initiative within school meals is the Community Eligibility Program (CEP), a program that opens school meals to all students within high-poverty districts. It eliminates application fees, reduces administrative work, and more importantly reduces stigma for children. It has been rolled out over the past three years. Now, 14,000 schools in 11 states participate, serving more than 6 million children.[8]

 

More progress is on the horizon. Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Linda Sánchez (D-CA) introduced the Wise Investment in Our Children Act (H.R. 2660) in June. It would extend a child’s eligibility for WIC benefits to age 6, closing the hunger gap for children who don’t enter kindergarten until they are 6 years old.[9]

 

What does the PC(USA) Say about Child Hunger?

 

The 221^st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) affirmed the importance of maternal and child nutrition in the first 1,000 days, from the beginning of a woman’s pregnancy to her child’s 2^nd birthday. Without proper nutrition during this time, children suffer permanent physical and cognitive delays. The General Assembly reiterated the Confession of 1967 that says“enslaving poverty in a world of abundance is an intolerable violation of God’s good creation.” [10] The overture highlighted programs like WIC that provide good nutrition for women and infants in this 1,000 day window. In addition, the PC(USA) participates in the 1,000 Days Movement that focuses on adequate nutrition for women and children in countries around the world.[11]

 

Time is running out! Urge your Senators and Representatives to reauthorize these critical nutrition programs before September 30.

 

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[1] http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1565415/err173.pdf

[2] http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=food-insecurity

[3] http://mic.com/articles/120610/49-million-americans-live-with-this-so-why-are-we-so-uncomfortable-talking-about-it utm_source=Mic+Check&utm_campaign=7b33b2ae5b

June_16_20156_16_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51f2320b33-7b33b2ae5b-285492657

[4] http://www.bread.org/ol/2015/downloads/ol15-issues.pdf

[5] http://www.bread.org/ol/2015/downloads/ol15-issues.pdf

[6] http://www.cbpp.org/research/index.cfm?fa=topic&id=31

[7] http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/files/upload-docs/11-Benefits_for_Immigrants-1.pdf

[8] http://www.cbpp.org/research/take-up-of-community-eligibility-this-school-year?fa=view&id=5273

[9] https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2660/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22%5C%22hr2660%5C%22%22%5D%7D

[10] Book of Confessions, Confession of 1967, 9.46 https://www.pcusa.org/media/uploads/oga/pdf/boc.pdf

[11] http://www.thousanddays.org/

PC(USA) signs on the letter expressing concerns over "Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015"

INTERFAITH WORKING GROUP ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT

To: Conferees to H.R. 644, the “Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015”

CC: All Members of Congress

Dear Members of the Customs Conference Committee:

As faith-based organizations and religious bodies with a presence in the United States and in countries overseas, we write you today to express deep moral concerns related to H.R. 644, the “Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015” (also referred to as the Customs bill), particularly the version that passed in the House.

While we speak from unique traditions, we share the common values that uphold the human dignity and worth of all people, protect God’s creation, and lead us to serve vulnerable populations such as subsistence farmers, workers of all conditions, the elderly, and children.

Based on these shared values, we respectfully ask you to reject the amendments to the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) law that are contemplated in Section 912 of the House version of H.R. 644. Below are a few of our concerns:

· Human trafficking – The discovery of hidden graves of human trafficking victims in
Malaysia and the lack of action from the Malaysian government in addressing this issue is horrific. We should not give privileged access to the U.S. market to countries that condone trafficking and the violation of human dignity. The House version of H.R. 644 aims to weaken the “No Fast Track for Human Traffickers” amendment to TPA proposed by Senator Menendez that passed the House and Senate and was signed into law. We ask you to reject any change or addition to the Menendez amendment in order to ensure that trade agreements do not foster, promote, or condone the scourge of modern day slavery.
Furthermore, we understand that the State Department may “upgrade” Malaysia’s designation from a “Tier 3” to a “Tier 2” status in its annual human trafficking (TIP) report to be released next week. This “upgrade” would ignore the experiences of trafficking survivors and victims, the slow pace of convictions, and the recent discovery of the mass graves. This confounding decision undermines the integrity of the TIP report and sets a disturbing precedent for trade agreements with other “Tier 3” designated countries. We urge Members of Congress to pressure the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons office to resist this political pressure and keep Malaysia’s “Tier 3” designation in its upcoming report.

· Climate change – Pope Francis and faith leaders of other major religious traditions have called for moral action on climate change. The House Customs bill included an amendment to the TPA’s negotiating objectives that would undermine efforts to address global climate change. As the world negotiates a climate agreement to protect impoverished and vulnerable communities and ecosystems from climate change, the United States must demonstrate moral leadership.

We know that people in poverty, the elderly, and children both in the United States and in developing nations already feel the impacts of climate change such as water and food scarcity, super-storms and other extreme weather events that cause displacement and even death. We ask you to reject the climate change amendment in the House version of the bill.

· Immigration – Welcoming our immigrant sisters and brothers and promoting just and humane immigration reform is a key priority for our community. The House Customs bill includes an amendment to TPA’s negotiating objectives meant to restrict trade policies from allowing for better immigration policies. We ask you to reject the immigration amendment in the House version of the bill.

We encourage you to consider how these changes to the TPA law would affect the lives of the most impoverished communities and God’s earth as you work to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the Customs bill. We urge you to reject the amendments to TPA that are contemplated in Section 912 of the House version of the Customs bill and to preserve without alteration the Menendez amendment on “No Fast Track for Human Traffickers.”

Sincerely,

Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Holy Cross International Justice Office
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Medical Mission Sisters, Alliance for Justice
NETWORK, A Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Institute Justice Team
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society

The Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment is a group committed to asserting a stronger presence of communities of faith in public policy discussions on trade and investment. 

Contact Chloe Schwabe (Chair) at 202-841-1780 or cschwabe@maryknoll.org

J. Herbert Nelson contributes statment on proposed upgrade of Malaysia’s trafficking status

Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment

For Immediate Release: July 10, 2015      

Contacts:

Stephanie Niedringhaus 202-347-9797, ext. 224 sniedringhaus@networklobby.org

Chloe Schwabe 202-832-1780 cschwabe@maryknoll.org

Religious groups oppose State Department’s proposed upgrade of Malaysia’s trafficking status

Groups fear final Customs bill could further weaken trafficking, other standards to protect vulnerable populations.

Fourteen religious organizations with a presence in the U.S. and in countries overseas today sent a letter to members of a conference committee in Congress to express deep moral concerns related to H.R. 644, the “Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015” (also referred to as the Customs bill), particularly the version that passed in the House. The chief concern was that the final bill could weaken strong anti-trafficking provision in the trade promotion authority bill signed into law June 29, 2015.

It has been reported that Malaysia, a country that the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking In Persons report had elevated to a “Tier 3” country for their lack of action to combat trafficking will be back to a “Tier 2” status this year. Malaysia is a party to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement that the Obama Administration hopes to complete by the end of 2015.

According to Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, “This can only be seen as a cynical political action meant to bolster Malaysia’s trade status with the U.S. at the expense of countless human trafficking victims. Coming so soon after the discovery in May of almost 150 graves in Malaysian camps of trafficking victims, the State Department’s reported decision cannot be justified on any level.”

Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II, director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness stated: “The United States' willingness to compromise on holding Malaysia accountable for its human rights abuses simply to secure the Trans-Pacific Partnership is yet another mark of a broken trading system. Actions such as this show an active disregard for those with the least power in our societies. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) does not support the TPP, nor does it support weakening our stance against human trafficking in any form. As a country, our diplomacy should be focused on improving the quality of life for all individuals around the world - without exception.”

“We are very concerned about the possible upgrading of Malaysia from the lowest tier of the U.S. State Department annual Trafficking in Persons list of worst human trafficking countries,” reported Ann Scholz, SSND, Associate Director for Social Mission, Leadership Conference of Women Religious. “It is problematic on many levels. It disregards the suffering and death of trafficked persons in Malaysia; sends a dangerous message to countries who continue to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of persons within their borders; and threatens the integrity of the TIP report and the commitment of the U.S. government to ending human trafficking.”

“In April 2014, Pope Francis condemned human trafficking as a crime against humanity, a scourge and an open wound in contemporary society. The TIP report has been an important tool to encourage governments to curb and one day end this terrible offense,” reported Gerry Lee, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, “We urge the State Department to uphold high standards rather than to make exceptions for countries when convenient for economic gains for the few that will benefit from the TPP.”

The Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment is a group committed to asserting a stronger presence of communities of faith in public policy discussions on trade and investment.

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Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, II preaches on the Charleston 9 and race and violence in the U.S.

Sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 on the occasion of remembering the Charleston 9 and embracing the issue of race in the United States. The worship service was held in the United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Listen to the audio here and watch a short clip here: 

“What We Are Contending With”

“For we are not contending with flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Today we remember the horrid incident in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC almost two weeks ago.  The funerals continue even today which serve as a constant reminder that even the Church of Jesus Christ is not necessarily a safe place in our society. However, it seems that signs of hope are beginning. Dylan Roof, suspect in the killing of the nine who were attending to prayer when the shooting occurred is incarcerated. Racially mixed unity marches with thousands of persons calling for the removal of the Confederate battle flag are occurring in South Carolina. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is renewing its fight for the removal of the Confederate Battle Flag from the South Carolina State Capitol that began in 1988. Major corporations are now supporting the efforts to remove the Confederate Flag by pledging not to produce or sell any products that feature the confederate battle flag or the flag itself. Amid this tragedy, it seems like the mill of progress is springing forth. Or is it?

The writer of Ephesians, believed to be a disciple of Paul, is credited with this letter to the Church at Ephesus. However, one must note that in chapters 3 and 4 the author assumes the identity of Paul as a prisoner of Jesus Christ. The writer of Ephesians reminds us in our text for today that the challenges we are facing are more than the symbols represented in the confederate battle flag; or the public outpouring of sympathy extended to the families of the victims; or the momentary unity marches among the descendants of Europeans and Africans in the streets in South Carolina. He writes:

“For we are not contending with flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

This community is grappling with the merging of Jews and Gentiles in the same communal context of worship and faith. What does it mean to unify across the lines of communal divide in the House of the Lord? Inherent in this question is how do we take on the challenge of being the community that God wants us to be while limping towards a unity in the oneness of Jesus Christ. The writer’s warning is found in the recognition that this will require engaging spiritual warfare for the sake of Jesus Christ in the world. Therefore, he outlines the spiritual war clothes needed to remain focused on the task of becoming and being what Jesus Christ wants them to be.

I must admit some frustration over the convenient ways that people, commerce and other groups of my home State are coming together around the guilt associated with this massacre after years of ideological divide over the civil war; slavery; Jim Crow segregation; the confederate flag; and a host of other racially divisive issues that has plagued the State of South Carolina. My life is still pained by the massacre in my hometown of Orangeburg, South Carolina during my growing years. Twenty-seven students were shot, 3 of them killed from South Carolina State and Claflin Universities (two Historically Black Colleges) and Wilkinson High School as they were trying to integrate Harry Floyd’s Bowling Alley. My father was significantly involved as a local Pastor and past State Conference President of the NAACP in South Carolina. The violence that night on February 4, 1968 is now known as the Orangeburg Massacre. Ironically, in 1968, two months before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the Orangeburg Massacre occurred and in 2015 during the second term of the first African American President of the United States the Charleston Massacre occurred. Both were fueled by race and the belief that white supremacy still is the order of the day.

Therefore, I hear the words of the writer of Ephesians who intimates that this is not an ideological war we are fighting. No, this is a spiritual war throughout the United States. In speaking boldly to the way ahead, the writer of Ephesians reminds us in these denominational offices that we are engaged in spiritual warfare.

 He writes in verses 14-19 “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.”

Do you hear this? We are called to a bold proclamation of the gospel! I am often perplexed by how casually we assume the power of the gospel in this environment. I remember a couple of years ago when there was a massive campaign to pass a bill to reduce gun violence. The Manchin-Toomey Bill was on the table in the Senate. There was a full court press from Gabrielle Giffords, Newtown families, Virginia Tech Survivors and other mass shooting advocates for ending gun violence across the U.S. Many were meeting here in this building. But, the Manchin-Toomey Bill became so watered down with compromise that there was really nothing left. Here in the faith community we compromised on the nothing that was left. We are often vacillating between whether we are pseudo-politicians or people of faith in our work on the Hill. I want to suggest that faith has power over politics if we learn to lean on God’s unhanging hand. Faith has power over politics when we declare as the bible does in Proverbs 14:34 when it reads Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people. Jesus said it another way,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, (Luke 4:18)

Our role is to speak a prophetic voice to a nation that is falling in the ditches of despair.

It is imperative that Charleston not only becomes a watershed moment in South Carolina, but a wake up call for those of us in this faith community and around the world that our role is to speak truth in love to power, including to our own faith communities with a unrestrained vigor and zeal for the living gospel of Jesus Christ. If we leave this place in history only removing a flag while the vestiges of Jim Crow education is still in our public schools across this nation; while systems of incarceration and inequality place whole families in systemic isolation from opportunity, and inequality remains the order of the day. If we remove the vestiges of the Confederate flag, but leave the domination of corporate greed in place, we will have traded one evil for another and will still find death on our street corners; imbalance in world markets; and justice and freedom eclipsed by the illusion of success in the United States.

We must not be afraid to challenge the powers and principalities in this present age. Our work is about redeeming people through the hope found in Jesus Christ whose statement of purpose is captured in Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” In other words, to turn the world upside down that righteousness might overcome the usury mill of corporate domination, our electoral politics and the world order.

I too mourn the loss of my brothers and sisters in Charleston, but have committed to making my advocacy more visible and vigilant so that we can at least go to prayer meeting and Church in peace.  I am thankful for the possible removal of the confederate flag that symbolizes all of the vestiges of White supremacy in the South, but equally important is that White Supremacist thinking and corollary actions not be dismissed by political ideology couched in media sophistication. I am grateful and consider it an undeserved honor to serve the Church of Jesus Christ in the nation’s Capitol, but my daily prayer is that the Lord will keep me humble. I see too much pomp and circumstance fueled by ego both on the Hill and in our faith community. We are not exempt from that assertion. If we were, Capitol Hill would possess a different climate. It would be a climate that denotes the Godly intention of our founders – a nation truly “of the people, for the people and by the people”[1].

Let us become weary in well doing. Let the Charleston 9 be a reminder that the epitaph of our life will be written. We do not know the time nor the hour. What we do know is that our work will be judged and so will our lives. God has placed us here to be prophets who declare that powers and principalities are subject to a day of reckoning. This may cost us something, but to play the game by the rules of our political leaders will cost us even more. Who do we serve….Answer ye this day!

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[1] Abraham Lincoln. “The Gettysburg Address.” November 9. 1863. Gettysburg, PA.