In a
press release on Tuesday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops report on several letters to Congress from the bishops critical of proposed social welfare budget cuts in the budget that has been passed by the House of Representatives. The letters:
repeated and reinforced the bishops’ ongoing call to create a "circle of protection" around poor and vulnerable people and programs that meet their basic needs and protect their lives and dignity. The bishops’ message calls on Congress and the Administration to protect essential help for poor families and vulnerable children and to put the poor first in budget priorities. The bishops’ letters oppose measures that reduce resources for essential safety net programs.
As reported by
The Hill, at a press conference yesterday House Speaker John Boehner, himself a Catholic, responded to the criticism, saying:
I want them to take a bigger look. And the bigger look is, if we don't make decisions, these programs won't exist, and then they'll really have something to worry about.
Rep. Paul Ryan who authored the budget bill said last week that his Catholic faith shaped the budget bill and that the bill is consistent with Catholic teachings.
