FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 26, 2007

Stephanie Niedringhaus (NETWORK) 202-347-9797 x224, sniedringhaus@networklobby.org

Pat Wheeler (Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good)
(202) 429-9682 pwheeler@catholicsinalliance.org

CATHOLICS CALL ON PRESIDENT BUSH TO STAND UP FOR AMERICA'S CHILDREN AND SUPPORT SCHIP

Washington , DC – Catholic social justice leaders and representatives from several faith traditions today urged President Bush to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) set to expire Sept. 30. Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religious leaders joined Senators Edward Kennedy and Harry Reid at a press conference where they called on the president not to leave behind working class families and poor children who will be denied access to quality medical care unless SCHIP is fully funded.

“ As Congress moves ahead with critical SCHIP legislation this week, it is essential that our leaders recognize that when it comes to providing access to basic medical care for children there is no room for partisan politics or petty ideological fist-fights,” said Sr. Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ, who represented NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good at the press conference. “Ensuring sick children get the care they deserve is a profound moral issue.”

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a non-partisan organization that works in partnership with 15 national Catholic social justice groups, has joined the Catholic Health Association, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Charities USA in supporting heath care for all as a fundamental human right. Catholic social teaching is clear that the inherent dignity of each human being requires robust public policies that support the common good and respond to the needs of the poor and most vulnerable in our society.

###

Statement of Sister Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ

NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

I am Catherine Pinkerton, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and a lobbyist for NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby. Today I am privileged not only to represent NETWORK, but also Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good. Both groups represent a large segment of the U.S. Catholic community. Together, we believe in the call of the Gospel and of Catholic social teaching to bring life and health to all, but most especially to those who are most vulnerable. Therefore, I stand here to support a stronger SCHIP program that protects our children.

From our perspective, today is one of those defining moments in our nation’s evolution, this moment when Congress and the president either accept or reject the obligation of government to provide for the common good, in this case the common good of our nation’s most vulnerable children.

As Congress moves ahead with SCHIP legislation this week, it is essential that our leaders recognize that when it comes to providing access to basic medical care for children, there is no room for partisan politics or petty ideological fistfights.

Ensuring that sick children get the care they deserve is a profound moral issue. Catholics and other people of faith have consistently called on Congress and President Bush to support full funding of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. We do so not simply because common sense tells us that healthy children contribute to a strong society, but also because we believe that our public policies should reflect the inherent dignity of each human life. SCHIP legislation, as it now stands, is an important step toward that goal.

President Bush has said he would veto SCHIP legislation, based, in part, on his assertion that it will expand SCHIP eligibility to families earning $80,000. This is simply incorrect, as noted by Senator Grassley, a member of his own party. Instead, this vital program helps low-income children receive the healthcare they need.

Without this legislation, large numbers of children will be denied routine check-ups that prevent more serious illness. Sick children will receive no treatment, or they will end up in emergency rooms. This will significantly increase the cost of medical treatment and will fail to provide children with follow-up care necessary for long-term health. Children with chronic diseases like asthma will be at particular risk.

We can and should do better.

Too often in Washington, the political process only works for the wealthy and the well-connected. Those on the margins of our society – our children, families living in poverty, and the elderly – are often left behind to fend for themselves. Some political leaders would have us believe that the marketplace is THE answer to our nation’s healthcare crisis. But tossing families and their children into the turbulent sea of the market without a lifeline is unworthy of our great nation. Our government has a unique and vital role to play in helping families access the medical care they need and deserve. Anything less is a betrayal of our nation’s promise of justice for all.

The moral measure of a great nation is not found in the mighty power of its military or even the heights its stock market reaches, but in that hopeful place where compassion and justice meet to build a society where all of God’s children are cared for and loved. President Bush now has an opportunity to show he is a true “compassionate conservative” by standing up for working families and giving our children the chance to live healthy and productive lives.

The most vulnerable children in our nation need a stronger SCHIP. I call on Congress and the president to support the current legislation as an important first step toward providing the help they need and deserve.

# # #

Editors and Producers Note: Sister Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, is available to comment on this issue. Contact Stephanie Niedringhaus, NETWORK 202-397-9797, ext. 224 or Pat Wheeler, CACG, 202-429-9682.

NETWORK—a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace—educates, organizes and lobbies for economic and social transformation. Founded in 1971 by 47 Catholic sisters, NETWORK is supported by thousands of groups and individuals committed to working for social and economic justice. For more information, see www.networklobby.org.

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, in conjunction with its 15 Alliance participating organizations, promotes awareness of Catholic Social Teaching and its core values of justice, dignity and the common good to Catholics, the media and Americans of all faiths. For more information please visit www.catholicsinalliance.org. For a daily summary of news on the intersection faith and public life, subscribe to www.catholicmediareport.org.

XXX