The Path towards a Just and Fair Farm Bill Continues in the Senate

Make your voice heard by clicking here as proposed amendments to the Farm Bill go before the Senate for a vote.

The Senate is currently considering a number of amendments to the Farm Bill that affect not only farmers, but people across the country, the world, and the conservation of our nation’s lands as well. We must act quickly to share with the Senate our vision for a Farm Bill that puts the needs of the hungry before the profits of select businesses.

We remember these words from Nehemiah 9:6: “You are the Lord, you alone; you have made . . . the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life . . .”

With the words of the prophet in mind, we affirm the life of this earth and all who live in it. We raise our voice to speak up concerning the following amendments to the Farm Bill. It is not yet clear which of the proposed amendments will receive a vote on the Senate floor, but please make sure to tell your Senator that the following amendments are important to you.

Tell your Senator you SUPPORT Farm Bill amendments that:

·         - Restores funding to SNAP, funds the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program for hungry children, and reduces subsidies for crop insurance. Sen. Gillibrand of New York has put forth this amendment.

·         - Limits consolidation in the meat industry, as proposed by Sen. Grassley from Iowa.

·         - Reforms crop insurance subsidies so that the largest farms do not receive federal subsidies for insurance that they can afford. Sen. Coburn from Oklahoma lifts this up in his amendment.

·         - Funds rural development while increasing funding for Beginning and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, as proposed by Sen. Brown of Ohio and Sen. Nelson of Nebraska.

·         - Makes conservation compliance a requirement for farmers with crop insurance. Sen. Lautenberg from New Jersey has brought this amendment.

·         - Increases funding for Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers, as proposed by Sen. Udall of New Mexico.

To protect our farms and farmers, and those who rely up on them, these next amendments must be DEFEATED in the upcoming days. These amendments:

·         - Limit the categorical eligibility for SNAP, so people who are eligible for SNAP cannot automatically enrolled be in the program, causing them a delay in their benefits, proposed by Sen. Sessions of Alabama.

·         - Deny SNAP benefits to eligible citizens if anyone else living in their household cannot produce proper proof of documentation, also proposed by Sen. Sessions.

·         - Cap SNAP spending at FY2010 levels and make it part of a block grant. Sen. Graham of South Carolina puts forth this amendment.

·         - Veer the bill off the topic of fair farming by requesting an investigation of the effect of the looming sequester (automatic budget cuts) on the nation’s military, which Sen. McCain of Arizona has filed.

Now is the time to send the message that farm policies need to be founded on principles of justice and fairness. Continue the witness that you have shown on behalf of the Farm Bill and the people it represents. Tell Congress that you take seriously the care of God’s creation and God’s people.

Thank you for your advocacy on the Farm Bill already. Your work makes a difference! Yesterday, shortly after you received our Action Alert, the Senate voted 65 to 33 to table Sen. Paul’s amendment to put SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) into a block grant, where it would have been underfunded and unable to respond to the rising needs of hungry families. Thank you for your efforts, and congratulations on keeping SNAP from shrinking!

June is Torture Awareness Month

Hebrews 13:3 (NRSV)

Remember those who are in prison,

As though you were in prison with them;

Those who are being tortured,

As though you yourselves were being tortured.

Join us at vigils nationwide on Tuesday June 26^th as we remember torture victims and raise awareness about the use of torture at the domestic and international levels.

Torture is a poignant social justice concern because its use not only ignores individual rights but violates human dignity. As Christians, we believe that each individual is made in the image of God and thus has intrinsic dignity and worth. Torture then becomes “a form of intimate, humiliating terror, a crime against the human spirit and God’s image in us” (Resolution on Torture 2006). Torture occurs worldwide and is used by US affiliated organizations and individuals even though the US Government has signed and ratified conventions against its practice (UN Declaration of Human Rights, UN Convention against Torture, the International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights). Awareness and accountability are necessary in order to end torture.

June is Torture Awareness Month and the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness has partnered with the National Religious Campaign against Torture (NRCAT) and various human rights organizations to coordinate events under the theme “2012 – Confronting the Culture of Torture.” NRCAT has provided a variety of resources and suggested activities for congregations. These include worship resources, DVDs with discussion guides, banners and resources for grassroots advocacy. The Resolution Against Torture, published by the PC(USA) after 217^th General Assembly in 2006, is another resource you can use to inform yourself and others. Continued advocacy is needed in order to confront the culture of torture and bring the practice to an end.

We encourage you to participate in Torture Awareness Month events on the local and national level.

• Vigils are coordinated nationwide on Tuesday, June 26^th, which is the UN International Day in Support of Torture Victims. A list of local vigils can be found here. In Washington, D.C., we are hosting a screening of the new documentary “Doctors of the Dark Side” at E Street Cinemas (11^th and E Streets) at 6:00pm. This screening will be preceded by a vigil at the US Navy War Memorial (8^th St and Pennsylvania Ave) from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.
• A toolkit for organizing a vigil in your area can be found here.
• Inform yourself and others by watching these NRCAT videos “Repairing the Brokenness” (10  minutes) and “Solitary Confinement: Torture in Your Backyard” (20 minutes). Discussion guides and other resources can be accessed through the above links.
• If you are in the Washington, D.C. area, consider joining us on June 24^th for the DC March Against Torture, Guantanamo & NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) from 1-2:30pm at the Capitol Reflecting Pool.  

For a more complete list of Torture Awareness Month events, consult the Torture Awareness Month page of the NRCAT website.

“The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) opposes the use of torture and all forms of ‘cruel, inhuman, or degrading’ interrogation by all agencies, employees, or agents of the United States government, and all foreign governments and/or combatants, and supports the application of the Geneva Conventions to all enemy soldiers and the humane treatment with due process for all combatants held by U.S. forces anywhere in the world, and supports the provisions of the Bill of Rights and the principles of judicial review and congressional oversight over Executive branch operations, now including counterterrorism, Homeland Security, and domestic surveillance programs, both classified and publicly acknowledged.” (Resolution on Human Rights 2006)

A Just and Healthy Farm Bill

Whenever the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) addresses the complex question of the nation’s food and farm policies, we refer to our faith conviction “that God our Creator has made the world for everyone, and desires that all shall have daily bread” (UPCUSA, Minutes, 1979, p. 189). This underlying conviction of a right to food shapes convictions about agriculture and rural life in this country.

Our nation’s food and farm policies, as embodied in the U.S. Farm Bill, impact people and communities from rural America, to urban centers, to developing countries. In the current budget climate, the Farm Bill’s limited resources must be targeted effectively where the need is greatest. We must prioritize programs and policies that curb hunger and malnutrition, support vibrant agricultural economies in rural communities, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.

The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness has joined with the interfaith community to call for a Farm Bill that promotes local food security in the U.S. and around the world, strengthens rural communities, and cares for the land as God’s creation. 

Write to your Senators about the Farm Bill today!

The Senate is currently debating the reauthorization of the Farm Bill – the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240) – and consideration promises to drag out for over a week, as hundreds of amendments will be offered.  Your Senators need to hear from you about a just and healthy Farm Bill.

Tell Congress that you support a Farm Bill that:

• Restores cuts to the SNAP program, while reforming crop insurance subsidies. Senator Gillibrand has introduced an amendment to this effect.
• Fully funds conservation programs, such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, and preserves the conservation compact, making sure that enrollment in any new insurance subsidies are tied directly to compliance with conservation programs.
• Robustly funds the Rural Development title, which is essential for spurring rural economic activity and creating jobs.
• Includes full mandatory funding for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers through the 2501 title. Senator Udall has introduced an amendment to this end.
• Includes all elements of the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act (S. 1773) introduced by Senator Brown.
• Includes the Packer Ban to limit consolidation in the meat industry, in accordance with the amendment introduced by Senator Grassley.
• Shifts our food and farm policy away from price supports that advantage the large, industrial farms, and instead levels the playing field for small and medium-sized growers, as well as a new generation of farmers.

           

U.S. food and agricultural policy must focus on adopting best agricultural practices that put the health of its citizens, the land, and the livelihood of farmers and farm workers over the interests of a small number of industrial agriculture operations.  Stand up to protect not only farmers, without whom we would all go hungry, but to enact a food and farm bill that fairly and judiciously serves the interests of all Americans. 

In a 1985 statement, the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly wrote “we believe it is the responsibility and duty of the Federal government to enact a comprehensive, long-term food and fiber policy, with specific price, production and conservation goals designed to protect and enhance family-farm agriculture in the United States … We believe further that this nation must establish a strong system of sustainable agriculture and prevent the continuing concentration of land in the hands of a smaller and smaller number of owners” (Minutes, 1985, p. 399).

Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Highlights:

The farm bill under consideration in the Senate (S. 3240) falls far short of the reforms needed to address the nation’s critical food and farming challenges. And perhaps most egregious of this bill’s failures is its $4.49 billion cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly Food Stamps). Nevertheless, this bill does make some positive steps, including a shift in big Ag supports that moves away from price supports and toward revenue insurance.  It also includes incentives for fruit and vegetable purchases, scaling up local cultivation and distribution of healthy foods, and bolstering marketing and research support for fruit, nut and vegetable farmers.

In total, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 would save $24.7 billion over 10 years, achieving this sum with the SNAP cuts, as well as an end to direct payments to grain and cotton farmers, consolidation of farm and conservation programs, and tightened restrictions on federal payments to farmers.

The committee proposal includes important reforms to the commodity title, which provides farm subsidies to growers of the five big commodity crops: wheat, corn, cotton, rice and soybeans. Despite reforms, the title continues to give away subsidies worth tens of billions of dollars to the largest commodity crop growers and agribusinesses, even as it drastically underfunds programs to promote the health and food security of all Americans. We strongly object to any cuts in food assistance during such dire times for so many Americans. The title also fails to invest in beginning and disadvantaged farmers, revitalize local food economies, and protect natural resources. These critical shortcomings must be addressed now before final Senate approval.

Nutrition

The Senate Farm Bill cuts SNAP funding by $4.49 billion over 10 years, by restricting the “Heat and Eat” program. With these cutsan estimated 500,000 low-income households from 14 states and the District of Columbia will lose an average of $90 per month in benefits, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The cuts would begin October 1, 2013. The “Heat and Eat” program is particularly beneficial to households with elderly and disabled members who often face the choice between heating/cooling their homes and having enough to eat. It allows participating states to coordinate SNAP and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) allowing the LIHEAP agency to provide  heating and cooling aid directly to households receiving SNAP. 

SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) is a highly effective anti-hunger program that helped provide food to more than 46 million low-income persons in January 2012. Approximately 92 percent of the program cost goes directly to beneficiaries to purchase food. The effectiveness of this program is largely tied to its counter-cyclical nature: as a mandatory program, everyone who is eligible can receive benefits. Therefore, when the economy slows and need consequently increases, the program expands to provide a safety net for all those who need it. When the economy improves and people start to get back to work, the program contracts and costs go down. Programs like this are successful precisely because they reach more people during a recession. Cutting benefits to low-income peopleas the sluggish recovery seems to stagger, would not only be cruel, but economically foolish.

Nutrition conclusion

Conservation Compact

Farm Bill Conservation programs create a “conservation compact” that is an essential tool by which we can ensure good stewardship of the nation’s land and other resources. By requiring basic levels of protections for soil, water, and wetlands, this conservation compact between farmers and taxpayers can help ensure that where public money is invested, the public’s interests are protected. This requires no additional federal investment—in fact complying with conservation requirements saves the government millions of dollars in disaster and crop insurance payments, all the while protecting vital natural resources. Conservation compliance protects the productivity of farmland by significantly decreasing soil erosion and protecting wetlands and other sensitive lands .

One place where the conservation compact is noticeably absent is in the federal crop insurance program.  Most of the farmers enrolled in the crop insurance program today are also enrolled in other federal agriculture programs, and are thus already engaged in conservation compliance.  However, some farms are enrolled only in crop insurance and are therefore not currently subject to rules aimed at preventing unsustainable soil erosion and wetland loss. With the receipt of federal support comes a responsibility to protect resources for future generations; most farmers agree, yet are placed at a competitive disadvantage when poor stewards are allowed to cut corners and reap the same public subsidies.

The conservation compact has sparked unprecedented progress in limiting soil erosion, cleaning up waterways, and protecting wetlands. It has served both farmers and taxpayers very well and should certainly be required in the largest federal farm support program—crop insurance.

Rural Development and Disadvantaged Farmers

One of the proven job-creating titles of the farm bill is Rural Development, which authorizes essential grants and loan programs, spurring growth and opportunity in rural areas through local initiatives. Since 1996, Congress has provided an average of $413 million in each farm bill for the Rural Development title, but this bill includes no funding at all, as reported by the Committee. This failure to fund the Rural Development title must be corrected.

In addition to investing in the future of rural America, we must invest in the future of American agriculture. The average age of an American agricultural producer today is 57. If we allow current trends go unchecked, that age will only increase. Providing training and technical assistance to the next generation of farmers can help buck the trend and ensure future food security. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program (Section 2501) require robust funding.

By ensuring continued investments in rural economic development and in the next generation of farmers, we can ensure that the Farm Bill is a “jobs” bill that underpins and enables economic growth in rural communities throughout the United States.

Commodities and Crop Insurance

Farm Bill subsidies were intended to provide a safety net for farmers whose business is inherently risky, but in reality, these taxpayer dollars increasingly go to large, industrial agriculture operations whose profit margins can well afford to bear some of their own risk. As written, the bill ends direct payments for commodity crops, which is a huge step forward, but would  replace those farm supports with Crop Insurance, spending billions of dollars to guarantee income for the most profitable farm businesses in the country. Crop insurance programs must be reformed to work better for diversified and organic farmers and to ensure comprehensive payment caps or income eligibility requirements. Otherwise, this so called “safety net” becomes an extravagant giveaway for affluent landowners and insurance companies.

In addition, the proposed $9 billion-a-year crop insurance program comes with minimal societal obligations. Growers collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premium subsidies should at least be required to take simple measures to protect wetlands, grassland and soil. Without such a conservation requirement, the unlimited subsidies will encourage growers to plow up fragile areas and intensify fencerow-to-fencerow cultivation of environmentally sensitive land, erasing decades of conservation gains.

Public Health and Healthy Food

Most of the benefits from these programs would flow to the producers of five big commodity crops (corn, soy, cotton, rice and wheat). Meanwhile, millions of consumers lack access to affordable fruits and vegetables, with the result that the diets of fewer than five percent of adults meet the USDA’s daily nutrition guidelines. Partly as a result, one in three young people is expected to develop diabetes and the diet-related health care costs of diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke are rising precipitously, reaching more than $120 billion a year.

                   

It doesn’t have to be this way. The Government Accountability Office has identified modest reforms to crop insurance subsidies that could save as much as $2 billion a year. Half could come from payment limits that affect just four percent of the growers in the program. The Senate should use these savings to provide full funding for conservation and nutrition assistance programs and strengthen initiatives that support local and healthy food, organic agriculture, and beginning and disadvantaged farmers. These investments could save billions in the long run by protecting valuable water and soil resources, creating jobs, and supporting foods necessary for a healthy and balanced diet.

U.S. food and agricultural policy must focus on adopting best agricultural practices that put the health of its citizens, the land and the livelihood of farmers and farm workers over the interests of a small number of large, industrial agriculture operation. This nation was built on the principles of protecting our greatest legacy: the land on which we grow our food and feed our families. Stand with us to protect not only farmers, without whom we would all go hungry, but also to enact a food and farm bill that fairly and judiciously serves the interests of all Americans. 

 

Principles for a Faithful Farm Bill

Principles for a Faithful Farm Bill

From God’s initial command to care for creation to the prophets’ call for justice among governments and nations, people of faith in every age are called together to work for the common good. Inspired by our faith traditions’ commands to care for poor and vulnerable people, we join together to support policies that promote local food security in the U.S. and around the world, strengthen rural communities, and care for the land as God’s creation.

Our nation’s food and farm policies as embodied in the Farm Bill impact people and communities from rural America to developing countries. In the current budget climate, the Farm Bill’s limited resources must be effectively targeted where need is greatest. Programs and policies that curb hunger and malnutrition, support vibrant agricultural economies in rural communities, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources must be prioritized.

Together, we will urge Congress to take the opportunity presented by the reauthorization of the Farm Bill to reduce hunger and poverty in the U.S. and around the world and encourage sustainable stewardship of our resources. To this end, we support the following principles for the 2012 Farm Bill:

·         Protect and strengthen programs that reduce hunger and improve nutrition in the United States.

·         Promote investments and policies that 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.

·         Strengthen policies and programs that 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.

Signed by:

American Jewish World Service

Bread for the World

Catholic Relief Services

Church of the Brethren

Church World Service

Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach

Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM)

Disciples Home Missions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office

National Catholic Rural Life Conference

National Council of Jewish Women

National Council of Churches Poverty Initiative

NETWORK

The Office of Social Justice of the Christian Reformed Church

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness

United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries

Union for Reform Judaism

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

This Mother’s Day, Support Farmworker Mothers

From the Presbyterian Hunger Program Campaign for Fair Food and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers



Photo courtesy of Scott Robertson (used with permission)

 On Mother’s Day we remember the commandment to “honor thy father and mother” and give thanks for the many ways mothers promote well-being within families.  But farmworker mothers, who labor in the Florida fields providing food for families across America, struggle to feed their own families.  You can help change this.

This Mother’s Day weekend, mothers have come together — from both ends of the supply chain. Farmworker mothers and consumer mothers, bound by their universal desire to provide for their families, are uniting their voices to invite Publix Supermarket to become a part of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food Program.  You can support their call by signing the  “Publix: Support farmworker mothers” Petition on change.org .

“On Mother's Day, we ask that you, Publix executives, recognize our affliction and the necessity of just wages for us as farmworkers, who as mothers are responsible for feeding our children," said Immokalee mother Carmen Esquivel.

Rev. Tricia Dillon Thomas, a Publix customer and Presbyterian minister explains, "As a mother it is important to me that the food I put on the table is planted and harvested while maintaining farmworker dignity.  I cannot very well ask the Lord to bless the food and forget the farmworker."

This Mother’s Day, pray that mothers everywhere would be treated with dignity.  And sign the petition to help make that possibility real for mothers picking in the Florida tomato fields. 

Learn more about the PC(USA)’s support for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Campaign for Fair Food at www.pcusa.org/fairfood .

House Bill (HR 4970) is NOT a real VAWA

Last Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee marked up and passed the Adams (R-FL) version of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization, HR 4970.  This bill fails to live up to the bipartisan Senate-passed bill (S 1925), which provides improved protections for particularly vulnerable populations.  In fact, this House bill turns back the clock on the Violence Against Women Act and is NOT a real VAWA reauthorization. 

The full House is expected to vote early this week.  Tell your Representative to vote NO on HR 4970 – it’s not the VAWA reauthorization we want.

The PC(USA), together with our interfaith partners, has been working to support the Senate-passed VAWA reauthorization (S 1925) and to defeat this harmful House bill that hurts and excludes certain survivors of violence from protections and access to the help and services they need.  In some cases, the Adams bill gives more rights to perpetrators than to victims.

The Violence Against Women Act, enacted in 1994, recognizes the insidious and pervasive nature of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, an 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 Senate-passed bill includes provisions that provide new protections for Native American women, immigrants, and LGBT victims.  The Adams bill (HR 4970) approved by the House Judiciary committee not only fails to include these new provisions, but actually rolls back important protections, including confidentiality, for immigrant victims.  In essence, this bill is picking and choosing which victims of domestic and intimate partner violence should get help.

Write to your Representative today! Tell him/her to vote NO on HR 4970- it’s not the VAWA reauthorization we want. [link]

We applaud members of the Judiciary committee who attempted to improve the Adams bill by offering amendments (all of which failed) to include vulnerable communities, such as Native women, LGBT victims, and immigrants. Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) even offered a substitute amendment that closely mirrors the bipartisan Senate-passed bill, but that amendment was not allowed to be considered or debated. In the end, the improving amendments were not adopted, and Committee members who stand with ALL victims of violence voted NO.  Find out if your Member is on the Committee and how he/she voted below.*

Despite these disappointing results, we are not giving up. The VAWA Reauthorization is essential!  Instead of the Adams bill, the PC(USA) supports HR 4271, introduced by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) -- a bill that mirrors the bipartisan Senate-passed bill.  The first step is to urge the full House to vote NO on the Adams bill, HR 4970, and to support instead HR 4271, an inclusive VAWA that is a real step forward for all victims of violence.

WE NEED TO FLOOD REPRESENTATIVES’ OFFICES WITH MESSAGES!  

For more information, check out www.4vawa.org.

_____

*Members who voted in favor of HR 4970 in committee: Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), Rep.  Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rep.  Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep.  Randy Forbes (R-VA), Rep.  Steve King (R-IA), Rep.  Trent Frank (R-AZ), Rep.  Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep.  Tim Griffin (R-AR), Rep.  Thomas Marino (R-PA), Rep.  Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Rep.  Mike Ross (R-AR), Rep.  Sandy Adams (R-FL), Rep.  Mark Amodei (R-NV)

*Members who voted against HR 4970 in committee: Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Rep. JerryNadler (D-NY), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR), Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO)

Oppose House Reconciliation Bill

From a blog post by Bread for the World:

Tell Your Representative to Vote NO on the House Reconciliation Bill



Marie Crise is able to use her SNAP benefits to purchase fresh,
healthy fruits and vegetables at the Abingdon Farmers Market in
Abingdon, VA. Photo by Laura Elizabeth Pohl. From Bread blog.


We need your voice today! Congress has been proposing more cuts to programs vital to hungry and poor people. The latest is a vote that the House of Representatives will take soon on additional cuts to SNAP and Child Tax Credits. 


Call your member of the U.S. House of Representatives today using 1-800-326-4941 and tell them to VOTE NO on the reconciliation bill. Or Send an Email.  Call NOW!  The House may vote as soon as Thursday, May 10.


The House of Representatives is using a legislative process known as reconciliation for the FY 2013 budget. (Reconciliation reduces the federal deficit by changing mandatory programs such as SNAP. It instructs authorizing committees in Congress to change eligibility requirements or benefit levels to save money.)

This reconciliation bill, which the House of Representatives is about to vote on, will have a devastating impacts on hungry and poor people. Please call your representative now at 1-800-326-4941 and tell them to VOTE NO on the reconciliation bill.  Or Send an Email.

Here are the basic talking points:

• We support a Faithful Federal Budget that “act[s] with mercy and justice by serving the common good, robustly funding support for poor and vulnerable people, both at home and abroad, and exercising proper care and keeping of the earth.
• Don’t balance the budget by cutting programs for hungry and poor people.
• SNAP is a lifeline for 46 million vulnerable Americans struggling to put food on the table. Eighty-five percent of SNAP benefits go to families with children, elderly or disabled people.
• The Child Tax Credit effectively lifts millions of children and families out of poverty every year. In 2010, the Child Tax Credit lifted 1.3 million children out of poverty.

If you have more time, you can also use the following points to expand your message:

• Cutting programs that serve poor and vulnerable populations is not the way to reduce our deficits. Congress must take a balanced approach that maintains our commitment to serving those in need.

• SNAP efficiently and effectively delivers food assistance to the neediest individuals and families. A recent study confirms that SNAP not only lifts families out of poverty, but also alleviates the depth and severity of poverty.

• The House proposed cuts to SNAP are tantamount to saying that every religious congregation across the United States needs to come up with an estimated extra $50,000 a year for the next 10 years to make up the difference.

• Food banks have seen a nearly 50 percent increase in demand since 2006. Any cuts to nutrition programs will put an even greater strain on charities and churches providing emergency food assistance.

• A parent with two kids working full-time at minimum wage in our country doesn’t earn enough to keep the family above the poverty line. Refundable tax credits, like the Child Tax Credit, boost earnings so working parents don’t have to raise their children in poverty.

• The bill proposes to cut state funding for services that play a critical role in preventing child abuse, increasing the availability of child care, and providing community-based care for elderly and disabled individuals. In 2009, just some of these funds provided adult protective services for well over 500,000 seniors.

Every time Congress proposes these types of harmful cuts to programs for hungry and poor people, we must loudly oppose it. These types of cuts are unacceptable. We need to continue to put the pressure on the House of Representatives.  So please call today.  

Call your representative at 1-800-326-4941 and tell him or her to VOTE NO on the reconciliation bill today! Or Send an Email.

Tell the Senate -- vote YES on the Reauthorization of VAWA (S. 1925)

 Reauthorization of VAWA (S. 1925)

The bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization bill (S. 1925) protects all victims of violence – domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.  This bill is expected for a vote in the Senate as early as today.  Tell your Senators to vote to keep all of the critical provisions, including those protections for Tribal women, immigrants, and LGBTQ victims, in the bill.

Since its passage in 1994, VAWA has a proven track record of protecting women from domestic violence, reducing the annual incidence of domestic violence by more than 50 percent. VAWA was the first U.S. federal law acknowledging domestic violence and sexual assault as crimes. This law passed the Senate unanimously in 2000 and 2005, and 47 state attorneys general support its reauthorization now.

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA -- S. 1925), a bipartisan bill introduced by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), streamlines programs to improve effectiveness, increases accountability to ensure that all victims and survivors receive the greatest benefit, and provides critical improvements to respond to the unmet needs of communities across the country. In particular, S. 1925 explicitly strengthens protections for those experiencing violence at the hands of a same-sex partner, as well as for immigrants and Native American women.

The bill currently has 61 cosponsors in the U.S. Senate. With strong bipartisan support, a vote on the Senate floor is expected as early as Wednesday, April 25!  

Tell your Senators to vote in favor of reauthorization of VAWA S. 1925.

Save the Date: No! to Prison Privatization

SAVE THE DATE!

Say No! to Prison Privatization
National Call-in Day:
Wednesday, April 18 

Wednesday, April 18, is the National Call-in Day to State Governors to say No to Prison Privatization! A letter was sent recently to 48 U.S. governors announcing the Corrections Corp. of America’s “Investment Initiative” to spend up to $250 million to buy prisons from state, local, and federal governments. The "initiative" requires a minimum commitment of 20 years for the facility, maintaining 90% capacity over the 20-year period.

Over 35 national faith organizations, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), urged the governors to decline this dangerous, costly invitation. To ensure that our states do not move toward increased privatization of correctional services, we call for evidence-based policies and practices proven to reduce recidivism and a reduction in the prison population.

The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness is partnering with the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, as well as several other partners in the faith community, to oppose this effort to privatize prisons. 

Join with people of faith next Wednesday, April 18, in urging state governors to commit publicly by June 1^st, to decline CCA’s offer to buy up and privatize state prisons.*

In 2003, the 215^th General Assembly approved a Resolution Calling for the Abolition of For-Profit Prisons:

We believe that the ultimate goal of the criminal justice system should be “restorative justice”: “addressing the hurts and the needs of the victim, the offender, and the community in such a way that all—victim, offender, and community—might be healed” (Resolution on Restorative Justice, Minutes, 2002, Part I, p. 576)…

Since the goal of for-profit private prisons is earning a profit for their shareholders, there is a basic and fundamental conflict with the concept of rehabilitation as the ultimate goal of the prison system. We believe that this is a glaring and significant flaw in our justice system and that for-profit private prisons should be abolished…

Even if for-profit private prisons could achieve significant cost savings to the taxpayer, which in fact they have not been able to do, they would still be morally unacceptable. Private prisons are not an economic but a deep religious and ethical issue, a cornerstone of our collective work to put justice back into the so-called “criminal justice system.” The moral concern and authority of the faith community make it critical that our voices be heard and our weight be felt.

The resurrection story is our call to work for restorative justice in our own time. We are a people of new life in the face of hatred and death. Increased profit from endless imprisonment means death to families and communities, and eliminates the possibility for new life and restoration.

Raise your voice on April 18 as we call for state governors to publicly decline CCA’s offer to privatize by June 1.

* This link will take you to the website of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society.  Sign up for a reminder for the call-in day, and that reminder will include instructions for calling your governor. 

Statement on the Shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida

A Pastoral Message to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):

Wake Up! The Struggles of Race and Gun Violence in the United States Have Not Gone Away



Trayvon Martin

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. (Romans 12:15-18)

Our nation is facing the terrible implications and heartbreaking aftermath of the tragic shooting death of a young man.  Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old African American boy who was shot to death by George Zimmerman, a mixed race man. Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012. George Zimmerman was acting as a neighborhood watch “captain.” Martin wore a “hoodie” sweatshirt and carried Skittles candy and a can of ice tea – items that have become symbols of solidarity with Trayvon and his family. Zimmerman claims he was acting in self-defense. As the nation reels from this racially charged incident, it is important that faith communities, especially churches, not be silent regarding two important implications of this incident.

Prayer for the Families

First, with empathy and compassion, we must join in prayer for the families of both persons involved in this unfortunate incident. Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton (Trayvon’s parents) were both active in Trayvon’s life. They mourn the loss of their son, God’s precious gift to them. Trayvon demonstrated promise and had visions of attending college like his older brother. He was actively involved in developing a future path for himself, under the direction of his parents.

Today and in the days ahead, this family needs our prayers. Parents who face the death of a child confront a lifelong sorrow that the rest of us can only imagine and dread. However, our faith reminds us that “If we live, we live to the Lord and if we die we to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Romans 14:8-9).

As people of faith, we must also prayerfully lift up George Zimmerman and his family. Although we do not know the full motivations of his actions, our Christian faith teaches us "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses." (Mark 11:25)  Our prayers must be offered with the belief that the God of salvation is able to reveal truth amid the confusion and anger that this incident is causing.

I encourage Presbyterians to be in prayer while the details are sorted out and these two families search for healing.

A Challenge to Racism and Gun Violence

Second, this incident is raising the issues of race and gun violence to the forefront of the national attention. Our challenge as a Church is to recognize that racial injustice is not a thing of the past. Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, a controversial measure that allows armed civilians to use deadly force when they feel they are in danger of imminent — but not necessarily lethal — harm, rather than attempting to flee, is raising questions regarding racial profiling. Was Zimmerman acting as a racially biased vigilante? Did the “hoodie” that Trayvon Martin wore set off inner city racial stereotypes that labeled him a criminal in Zimmerman’s mind? Was this a premeditated murder caused by the remnant of historically racist thinking? These questions are among many being raised within communities across the nation, including the African American community. Protests are wide spread and racial tensions are high in our nation.

The complexities of this shooting are fueled by both race and gun violence.  The 219^th General Assembly (2010) adopted the resolution, “Gun Violence, Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call.” In that document it Encourage[s] the church at every level… to become informed and active in preventing gun violence, to provide pastoral care for victims of gun violence, and to seek a spiritual response of grief and repentance, grace and courage to resist that violence and celebrate the Lord and Giver of Life.

The 2010 policy further restates the 202^nd General Assembly’s resolution (1990) that called on the U.S. government to establish meaningful and effective federal legislation to regulate the importation, manufacture, sale and possession of guns and ammunition by the general public. Such legislation should include provisions for the registration and licensing of gun purchasers and owners, appropriate background investigations and waiting periods prior to gun purchase, and regulation of subsequent sale.

The 219^th Assembly also acknowledges that “little change has been seen in the policies enumerated, and these same calls can and should be echoed today.”In this nation, gun violence is responsible for about 35,000 completely preventable deaths every year. The shooting of Trayvon Martin was facilitated by a law that gives a person possessing a gun the right to self-determine when his/her life is threatened, even when there is no indication of a lethal provocation. This type of law opens the door for vigilante activity on our streets and in our neighborhoods.

The 219^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) called on churches to ensure that “liturgies not only call for periodic preaching on gun violence but also contain prayers for the victims and perpetrators of gun violence and confession of our own complicity in the perpetuation and toleration of violence in all its forms in the culture.” We cannot remain silent!

Gun violence is the intolerable by-product of a nation struggling with the essence of community building. Our congregations are essential to communities overcoming the need to choose guns over love. Let us use this tragic event for good and work toward the “peaceable Kingdom.”

As we respond to this tragedy, let us hold up the families of those who have been devastated by this crime, and let us hold out hope that our social conscience and love of justice will allow us to put down our guns and pick up our tools to build communities that learn to study racism and gun violence no more. It is then that Trayvon’s brief life and the nameless others who die such tragic deaths will truly be honored.

Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, Director

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness

100 Maryland Avenue, NE

Washington, DC 20002

ga_washington_office@pcusa.org