NETWORK Statement on FY 2009 Budget Request

February 25, 2008

The Catholic Bishops challenge us in Economic Justice for All: Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy to give highest priority to the needs of those with the least economic power.

NETWORK calls on legislators to create a federal budget built on justice, economic equity and compassion for those who struggle for economic survival. We recognize the particular difficulty of this in a year when the economy heads toward recession, the housing market falters and the president has presented a seventh, and last, budget proposal that embellishes the wealth of the wealthiest households and corporations in the nation. The work ahead for Congress, and for the people of this nation, is vital. The budget ultimately adopted by this Congress must begin the years of hard work ahead to bring this nation back to a point of moral balance.

Congress must Stop, Reverse the Direction of the president’s 2009 Budget Proposal, then Proceed with conscience.

For seven years, this president denied agencies the ability to respond to people’s critical needs through his budget proposals and, most recently, vetoes of appropriations funding.

Thousands more people are living on the streets, in shelters, and crowded with family and friends due to insufficient funding of housing for low-, very low- and extremely low-income families. The greatest increase in homelessness is among children. Increasingly, meal programs and food pantries struggle to provide something to each client. Parents struggle to find affordable child care, particularly with the increased work requirements for TANF recipients.

Since 2001 and 2003, the nation has gifted the wealthiest 1% of U.S. households with an average of $60,000 – funded by cuts to domestic human needs programs. It is estimated that the extension of these tax cuts would cost $900 billion over the next five years, while domestic programs are cut $474 billion over the same time. The values upon which these decisions have been made need to be turned 180 degrees toward justice.

NETWORK supports progressive taxation, expecting those who are most able to invest in the common good. The people of this nation do not object to providing for human needs, but the recent tax packages and administrative language suggest just the opposite. They extend tax cuts that almost exclusively benefit the wealthiest Americans.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost 3963 U.S. military lives and 28,773 injuries grave enough to require long-term care. Unconscionably, the cost in lives, injuries and destruction of homes and infrastructure inflicted on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan are tens of multiples of our losses. The overwhelming monetary cost of these wars is exacerbated by wasteful spending. The costs of the Iraq war have reached over $500 billion, most of which is separate from the Department of Defense budget. NETWORK affirms our responsibility to meet the needs of our troops, but much of the defense budget funds military suppliers of planes and other equipment. The budget also funds the immoral development of newer, more deadly weapons. NETWORK supports cutting these areas of research and development and military construction – particularly those related to the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW), ground-based, mid-course missile defense system (GMD), and Complex 2030. While the president’s budget proposal funds wasteful and immoral spending, it cuts programs for soldiers and their families, including $8.3 billion from Personnel Outlays and $932 million from Military Family Housing Outlays.

Our national priorities must be refocused to prioritize the needs of the following populations, who continue to receive less-than-fair treatment:

• children and families,
• the elderly and people with disabilities,
• Native Americans, and
• refugees and Iraqi civilians.

These groups deserve special concern in our work to bring about greater justice. Each faces particular struggles in meeting their needs and the needs of their families. We must ensure robust funding of the programs designed to meet these needs.

“Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you…”And, the king answered them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these …” Matt. 25: 37, 40

NETWORK's Nine Priority Programs for Funding in FY 2009

See also: NETWORK Statements in Support of Priority Populations

The following programs are among the most critical for meeting the needs of our priority populations for FY’09

HOUSING

H.R. 1851 Section 8, the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Senate Companion)

H.R. 4880, a bill to amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

S. 1668, Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007

S.2062, a bill to amend the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996

NUTRITION

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

The Native American population experiences complications to chronic health issues due to the high cholesterol content of commodities foods. Therefore, additional funding is requested to include more grains in the TEFAP contributions to Native American distribution sites.)

Food Stamps

Currently, $1.00 per meal is the allotment, and not all who are eligible have been able to secure food stamps. One dollar buys far less today than it did even six months ago.)

CHILD CARE

Costs eat an increasing portion of income, particularly damaging for low-wage workers and those receiving TANF benefits.)

CHILD SUPPORT

Administration

Costs are minimal in comparison to the amount retrieved from non-custodial parents. Increasing these administrative costs will save money in entitlement programs.)

REFUGEE ASSISTANCE

We must fund at least 50% of the UNHCR appeal for $261 million