Category Archives: Front Page

Present Day Trauma and Old Wounds

Present Day Trauma and Old Wounds

We Need Solidarity Across Communities to Counter the Horrors of the Budget Bill’s Immigration Provisions

Joan F. Neal
June 26, 2025

In responding to the budget reconciliation bill now expected to pass the U.S. Senate this week, NETWORK and Sisters around the country have focused much attention on the calamitous cuts to health care and food programs in the bill, especially as they would go to tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals in the country. This is a worthy focus, given the millions of people whose lives are threatened by this disastrous bill.

Sadly, this is only part of the story. NETWORK has also called attention to the $150 billion this bill allots to terrorizing our communities through scaled up immigrant detention and deportation efforts. The horrific policies and actions under this Administration have drawn much attention in the media.

One recent example is the viral video of Narciso Barranco, a California gardener, being beaten by agents as they arrest him. One of his sons, a Marine who put his life on the line for our country, says he is heartbroken and betrayed. While this violence is happening to specific families, the shockwaves it sends through our communities are palpable. It is also intergenerational. Clearly, we need to realize that no individual, family or community is safe when this level of unchecked militarization descends upon us at such an expanded scale.

For Black people in the U.S., images of masked and armed men snatching people off the streets and disappearing them evoke another horrific chapter in U.S. history, one that is still discernable in the rear-view mirror. Neighbor turned on neighbor along racial lines. There was vigilante justice against the Black community, and, just like today, people were afraid to live their daily lives. The impacts on our communities are comparable in terms of the terror and trauma they spread.

Across the U.S., we should feel real pain watching neighbors, coworkers, friends, and families—including those with legal residency in the U.S.—being hauled away from their homes, workplaces, and loved ones. We need to lean into this empathy and let it draw us into action. Solidarity is our salvation.

We have mustered this widespread solidarity before, the most recent and far-reaching example being the Civil Rights movement, which saw white people—including many Catholic Sisters and clergy—joining protests and marches to decry racial segregation and the denial of civil rights, voting rights, fair housing and more, to Black people – U.S. citizens. The Civil Rights movement is an example of how solidarity across communities can work to counter systemic injustice and lead to societal transformation. This is a lesson we should all remember at this time of turmoil.

So as we act together in resistance to the current push to pass the ‘big, bad’ budget reconciliation bill, we cannot lose sight of the human cost of this terrible, unjust piece of legislation that will provide billions of dollars to continue the violent assaults on immigrants while slashing essential programs for all people across the country who need assistance. Rather, we must once again come together in solidarity so that none of us, no matter who we are, react to the harm of another person without empathy. We must acknowledge that we are all one, human family without exception—as residents of this country, as members of communities, as children of God—and act accordingly.

We shouldn’t need horrors such as these ICE raids or devastating cuts to essential programs to remind us of this oneness, but here we are. Thankfully, protests and other actions in recent weeks have shown encouraging signs that we are still capable of recognizing our shared humanity. Let us pray and act so that these acts of solidarity continue.

Use NETWORK’s Budget Reconciliation Toolkit to take part in our advocacy against this bill.

Tax Injustice in the Republican Budget

Tax Injustice in the Republican Budget

What We Could Do if Billionaires Paid What They Owe

Jarrett Smith

Annexing Greenland, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, selling Teslas on the front lawn of the White House — all are examples of gaslighting the American people so as not to address the real issues at hand: Republicans in Congress want to make devastating cuts to essential public programs for working people to fund tax cuts to billionaires. These executive actions are deliberate attempts to shift the focus away from the critical need for a fairer tax system.

The faithful must pick a side. Our decision will have ramifications for future generations. We can continue to support enriching the wealthiest individuals, who already have an outsized
influence on our economy and politics, or we can start looking at ways to make the wealthiest pay what they owe in taxes.

One of the most egregious aspects of the Republicans’ current Budget Reconciliation proposal is its emphasis on reviving the disastrous Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which gives tax cuts to billionaires and large corporations. These tax giveaways are not only unjust, they’re also economically irresponsible. Take, for example, the harm done to by eliminating vital regulations that protect workers, consumers, and the environment. When the richest handful of people continue to pay lower tax rates than working-class families, it sets a dangerous precedent — one that perpetuates wealth inequality, destabilizes the economy, and weakens our democracy.

Tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy are also rarely used to invest in innovation, job creation, or social good. Instead, they often lead to increased stock buybacks, executive bonuses, and dividends — actions that enrich a small group of individuals at the detriment of the rest of society.

If we redirected just a fraction of the wealth accumulated by the top 1%, we could significantly improve the quality of life for millions of people. Here is what the federal government could fund if we made billionaires pay what they owe in taxes:

  • Universal health care: A fully funded, universal health care system would ensure access to quality care for all, regardless of income. We would be free of devastating medical bills and denials of needed treatments. We would never have to worry about getting the care we need, for ourselves or our loved ones.
  • Affordable housing: We could combat the growing crisis of housing insecurity and homelessness, and ensure that everyone has access to safe, stable living conditions. This would alleviate the strain on emergency shelters and reduce the financial strain on low income families.
  • Education for all: We could ensure that all children have access to a high-quality education from early childhood through higher education. Investing in education is one of the most powerful ways to break the cycle of poverty and create a more equitable society.
  • Clean air and water for our neighborhoods: We could address the climate crisis by investing in renewable energy, green jobs, and sustainable infrastructure. This would protect our planet and create jobs in the process.
  • Social safety nets: Expanding programs like Social Security, unemployment insurance, and food assistance would help us to retire with dignity and provide critical support for when we go through hard times.

New federal tax policy focus would unleash so many possibilities to help our communities can thrive. Join NETWORK in calling for a fairer tax code, more funding for public programs, and an end to the disproportionate tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Together, we can create a system that works for everyone, not just the billionaires and mega-corporations.

This story was published in the Quarter 2 2025 issue of Connection.

Juneteenth 2025: Black Liberation Demands Truth, Repair and Justice

Juneteenth 2025: Black Liberation Demands Truth

Min. Christian S. Watkins, Government Relations Advocate
June 18, 2025
“We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.” — Pope Francis 

I grew up before Juneteenth was a federal holiday; it was a cherished time for family reunion. Kinfolk from all over Texas, northern Louisiana, and other cities of the U.S. Black diaspora would come together. I remember the BBQ and the trail rides, the laughter and love celebrated amongst each other — even as we slaughtered each other at the dominoes or spades tables — all culminating in communal worship at the closest family church. I never knew that people outside of Texas didn’t know what Juneteenth was, let alone had the blessing to celebrate family, safety, and survival as we did.

Some of my fondest memories were cultivated at Juneteenth reunions, and they planted in me strong values of freedom, solidarity, and community. Even though many don’t gather and celebrate as families from diverse areas now because we’re mainly struggling to make ends meet and survive daily challenges, the values are still deeply rooted within.

No matter our color, zip code, or what’s in our wallets, we all want to live in a nation where every person is treated with dignity, where families can thrive, and where truth shapes justice. That vision is sacred—and it’s one Black Americans have long fought to bring into being.

This Juneteenth, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice joins the celebration of Black liberation and resilience in the United States. We honor the ancestors whose lives were sacrificed and those who survived the chains of slavery, the freedom fighters who defied Jim Crow, and the generations of movement builders who continue to press forward in bending the long moral arc more toward justice. And today, we are grateful for the fierce advocacy and legislative efforts of Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Summer Lee, Hank Johnson; Sen. Cory Booker; and others. Together with our communities, they are continuing to push for Reparatory Justice and carrying forward the legacies of the late Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and John Conyers. The congressional briefing on May 13th on “Why We Can’t Wait: Advancing Reparative Justice in Our Lifetime” was a testament to the collaborative efforts to make justice happen. Their individual and collective work over decades has won rights and protections that uplift all of us. (See below to learn more about current reparatory justice legislation.)

But full freedom has never been fully delivered. Our celebration is not complete without a call to action. Juneteenth is not only a commemoration of delayed freedom, but also a demand for complete freedom. And complete freedom requires truth-telling and repair of past harms, and a commitment to present and future equity.

A Juneteenth Commitment to Truth and Repair

For over 150 years, many lawmakers have chosen policies that have denied Black Americans the full promises of emancipation. Economic justice, political equality, and social dignity were promised—but never delivered. This Juneteenth, we recommit to changing that.

The Urgency in 2025: Threats to Our Freedoms and Black Dignity Today

Some politicians, including the current Administration, are working to divide us by race and distract us from their true agenda: hoarding power and wealth while cutting off our communities from what we need to thrive. By targeting Black communities, these lawmakers weaken our whole country.

Since January 2025, the Trump administration has engaged in:

  • Civil Rights Erosion and Equity Rollback: President Trump’s Executive Order 14151 has abolished federal diversity, equity, and inclusion mandates, while key civil rights enforcement arms in agencies like Education and HUD face debilitating cuts, revoking decades of equity progress.
  • Defunding of Essential Services: The Administration’s budget proposals slash funding for HUD by 43%, dismantle Head Start programs, and eliminate public housing support—threatening Black families, single mothers, elders, and children across the country.
  • Economic Assault: In addition to HUD disruption, education and health programs face devastating cuts, displacing families and widening the racial wealth gap.
  • Police Accountability Reversals: Consent decrees and oversight agreements in cities like Minneapolis and Louisville have been canceled, signaling a retreat from justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others.
  • Public Servants Purged: President Trump has arbitrarily removed over 130,000 public servants—many of them Black, Brown, and women— for not passing ideological loyalty tests. This undermines decades of equity in hiring and workforce stability, and ruins the livelihoods of thousands of workers.
  • Environmental Racism Neglect: The Trump administration has gutted the EPA’s environmental justice initiatives, despite overwhelming data showing that polluting corporations deliberately build toxic facilities in Black communities, polluting their air, water, and land.
  • Cultural Suppression: Artists are being surveilled and prosecuted for their speech, while courts strip away protections from state violence.

These attacks harm everyone, but especially the dignity, freedom, and futures of Black communities. They are not just policy differences—they are a systemic assault on justice, truth, and human life. In this context, reparations are not only just—they are urgent.

A Continued Faithful Response is Necessary

As Catholics, we are called to repair what has been broken. We believe in resurrection power—that new life is possible even after the most morally-reprehensible, state-sanctioned death. In this nation, crucifixion has fallen most heavily on Black bodies. Juneteenth is a resurrection moment—proof that even after the deepest injustice, new life is possible.

Our tradition teaches that truth must precede reconciliation, and that repair is a spiritual discipline. As Pope Francis reminds us, “Every human being is precious.” That sacredness demands a public reckoning with the truth and a commitment to systemic transformation, so that all of us can thrive.

The Catholic tradition compels us to address injustices directly. In particular, the Catholic Social Justice principles of solidarity, subsidiarity, the common good, and the preferential option for the poor are not theological abstractions—they are mandates for action.

Our Call to Action

This Juneteenth, NETWORK calls on Congress and the President to:

  • Declare that racial repair is not optional—but essential to the soul of our nation.
  • Pass H.R. 40 and the Reparations NOW Resolution.
  • Enact the TRHT, Tulsa-Greenwood, RAP, and G.I. Restoration Acts. (See below to learn more).

We also call on Catholics and people of faith to:

  • Celebrate Black dignity with more than words—with policy, action, and repair.
  • Pray for the courage to speak uncomfortable truths and pursue bold justice.
  • Preach the truth of Juneteenth—not just as history, but as present-day struggle.
  • Lobby and organize for reparatory justice in parishes, schools, and communities.

Juneteenth is not just a day of remembrance—it is a holy invitation.
Let us finish the work.
Let justice roll. Let truth rise. Let freedom be full.

Amen.

Reparatory justice is a comprehensive vision of thriving communities. We renew our urgent support for a suite of reparatory justice legislation, including:
  • H.R. 40/S.40 – Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act of 2025 – Reintroduced in the House on January 3rd by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, with over original 70 co-sponsors. Reintroduced in the Senate on January 9th by Sen. Cory Booker.
  • H.Res.414 – The Reparations NOW Resolution of 2025 – sponsored by Rep. Summer Lee, introduced on May 15th – A declaration that the time for study is over and the time for federal action on reparations is now. Press release, photos, and videos.
  • S.Con.Res.19/H.Con.Res.44 – The Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Commission Resolution of 2025 – co-sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker & Rep. Jasmine Crockett – A national commission for truth-telling, racial healing, and transformation that names 1619 as the founding wound.
  • S.1051 – Historic Greenwood District – Black Wall Street National Monument Establishment Act of 2025 – Introduced on March 13th co-sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. James Lankford.
  • H.R. 1725/S. 3257 – G.I. Bill (Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren of the Institutionalized Generation) Restoration Act of 2025/2023, introduced on February 27th and sponsored Rep. Seth Moulton in the House, and by Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2023 in the Senate, the bill will deliver G.I. Bill benefits to descendants of Black WWII veterans unjustly denied support, unlocking opportunities long withheld.
  • H.R. 2952 – Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act of 2023, sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson – Protecting Black artists from the criminalization of cultural expression in a federal criminal or civil case.
  • H.R. 3466 – The Tulsa-Greenwood Claims Accountability Act of 2021, sponsored by Rep. Hank Johnson – A remedy for descendants of the 1921 massacre, restoring access to courts and justice.

These are not radical proposals—they reflect the heart of Catholic Social Teaching: the call to human dignity, solidarity, and the preferential option for the poor. As a Catholic organization committed to justice, we proclaim that reparations are not a radical idea—they are a moral obligation, and our only path to a future of freedom for all of us.

Take Our Juneteenth Field Pledge

In the light of truth, I confess the destructive reality of racism—not with shame, but with responsibility and hope.

I remember the wounds of slavery, segregation, and stolen opportunity.
I affirm: Black lives are sacred. Black history is American history.
As taught by Catholic Social Teaching, every person bears the Imago DEI—God’s sacred and uniquely diverse image—and justice demands both acknowledgment and repair.

I renounce comfort that comes at the cost of another’s suffering.
I choose solidarity over silence, truth over denial, and reparations as a necessary act of restorative justice.

Rooted in the dignity of all people and the call to the common good, I recommit to the long work of racial healing, to honoring Juneteenth not with sentiment, but with action.

By God’s grace, I will journey in truth.
By Christ’s help, I will labor in love.
By the Holy Spirit’s power, I will stay in the struggle—until justice rolls down for all.

Amen.

Faith-filled Protest Signs for “NO KINGS”—and beyond!

Faith-filled Protest Signs for “NO KINGS”—and beyond!

NETWORK is excited to share that we are one of the many sponsors of the “NO KINGS” National Day of Action on Saturday, June 14!   

All while pushing a budget that takes away our Medicaid and SNAP, President Trump is wasting our taxpayer money on a fascist military parade for his birthday. But we won’t be there – because in America, we have no kings. Thousands of NO KINGS actions will be happening in communities across the country.  Check out this great interactive map to find the closest event near you. When you click on the blue dot, you’ll be able to RSVP.  

In preparation for NO KINGS and all the incredible vigils and rallies that are taking place over the next month, NETWORK has made a variety of signs with bold, faith-filled messages—many of which call upon our lawmakers to protect our health care, our food, and our families, and not give massive tax cuts to billionaires.

You can download and print the signs in two sizes (11″ x 17″ and 18″ x 24″) or share our ready-made graphics on social media to spread the word online. Whether you’re marching in the streets or posting from home, we invite you to join us in raising a prophetic voice for justice.

Click to download the signs and social media graphics:

And if you use them at an event or online, tag @NETWORKLobby and use #NoKings—we’d love to see how you show up.

 

Laudato Si’ at 10 Years: A Decade of Prophetic Witness for Our Common Home

Laudato Si’ at 10 Years:

A Decade of Prophetic Witness for Our Common Home

Drake Starling
June 5, 2025

Ten years ago, Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato si’, shook the world and stirred the consciences ofPope Francis Appears before crowd people across faiths, beliefs, and the world. Pope Francis invited us into a radical reflection on how we relate to the Earth, to one another, and to the generations yet to come.

Laudato si’ was a clarion call to conversion—ecological, spiritual, economic, and political. And 10 years later, its message has only grown more urgent.

A Prophetic Vision

Pope Francis did not merely write about climate change — he extended a call for climate justice. It was a call about dignity. It was a call about systems. He named the ecological crisis not as a technical problem with a technical solution, but as a moral crisis born of the “throwaway culture” that treats both the Earth and its most vulnerable people as disposable.

Francis called for an “integral ecology,” one that recognizes the deep interconnectedness between environmental destruction and social injustice. As he framed it: “The cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor” are one and the same. Pope Francis put forth a vision of our future in which all creation, including humanity, thrives. This vision spans from breathable air, clean water, and healthy soil to clean energy systems, dignified jobs with good conditions and wages, and quality education, health care, and housing for all.

That vision changed the game. It catalyzed action among Catholic institutions and beyond: schools divested from fossil fuels, parishes installed solar panels, and Catholic climate activists joined movements demanding systemic change—from local resilience efforts to global climate negotiations.

Where Are We Now?

Ten years on, the planet is hotter, and the climate crisis is accelerating. Indigenous, Black, and Brown communities—those who have contributed the least to global emissions—suffer the harshest consequences of climate-related disasters, like wildfires, floods, and droughts. All the while, fossil fuel corporate executives, their lobbyists, and the politicians they bankroll continue to block meaningful solutions so they can keep on polluting and profiting. In fact, instead of protecting people and the planet, they hoard profits and power—leaving frontline communities to pay the price.

This is what we are witnessing today, as the Trump administration and some lawmakers in Congress try to slash funds for clean energy programs and roll back regulations for clean air and clean water for their own greedy reasons.

Yet, there is hope.

The spirit of Laudato si’ is alive. It’s alive in Indigenous land defenders resisting deforestation. It’s in young people demanding climate action. It’s in Catholic Sisters’ growing community gardens and doing advocacy work in Congress. It’s in the international Laudato Si’ Action Platform, where Catholic institutions commit to a just ecological transition. It’s in public and low-income housing where the Inflation Reduction Act funds programs to replace unsafe gas appliances with clean energy units. It’s in Catholic parishes across the country with Laudato Tree and Care for Creation teams.

And, it’s alive at NETWORK. In 2022, we successfully advocated for the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA moved us into action for climate justice. It delivered well-paying green jobs, growth in solar and wind energy marketplaces, and more. Today, we’re working to protect and expand the progress of the IRA.

A Challenge for the Next Decade

As we mark this milestone, we must resist the temptation to sentimentalize Laudato si’. It was—and remains—a disruptive document. A holy provocation. A moral compass in a time of ecological unraveling.

In Laudate Deum, his 2023 follow-up encyclical, Pope Francis reminds us that the time for reflection has passed. Now is the time for bold action. His urgent call demanded that we confront the systems of power blocking change and act with those on the frontlines of ecological and human suffering.

NETWORK’s An Economy for All policy agenda responds to Pope Francis’ call. Guided by our agenda, we are together advocating for policies that make it possible for all of us to live with dignity—with clean air and water, dignified jobs and wages, and political systems responsive to the people, not to those with the most money.

Will we move beyond words to put this vision into action? Will we choose fossil fuel phaseouts over false solutions? Will we center the voices of those in poverty, the young, and the marginalized in our climate decisions? Will we let the Earth rest?

We owe it to our children. To the Earth. To our Creator.

A call to action on the 10th anniversary of Laudato si’
  1. Call your members of Congress and tell them to protect the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. These vital investments help fight climate change, reduce harmful pollution, and build a future where all can thrive — especially those most impacted by environmental injustice.
  2. Share Laudato si’ with 10 people.
  3. Join your congregation’s care for creation efforts (or work with others to start one).
  4. Read about efforts to bring environmental justice to communities besieged by climate harm, like this one about Black women in Louisiana taking on polluters.
  5. Learn more about environmental injustice in your community with the environmental justice data project action portal.

As Pope Francis wrote, “All it takes is one good person to restore hope.” May we be many.

Lent Week 8: Easter’s Promise of Thriving for All

Lent 2025: Giving Up Billionaires


Welcome to the eighth and final week of our Lenten series, “Giving Up Billionaires,” as we call on Congress to give up billionaires so our communities can have what we need to thrive. Click here for the rest of our Lenten reflections and actions.

We Can Give Up Billionaires and Enjoy Abundance!

 

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP
April 23, 2025

We are an Easter people!

Together, over the course of Lent, we explored how all of us suffer when some lawmakers allow their billionaire backers to evade taxes and hoard wealth. We also examined how all of us will thrive, with affordable health care, stable housing, nourishing food, and inclusive politics, when we ensure that the ultra-wealthy pay what they owe our society in taxes.

We are Black, Brown, and white. Young and old. Gay, straight, and anything in between. We all want to live in safety, to have enough food to eat and a roof over our heads, and to be able to provide for our families and loved ones. We believe in a world where everyone has what they need. That’s why we’re taking action throughout the U.S.–forming advocacy groups, protesting cuts to the programs our communities rely on, taking care of each other with mutual aid, and more.

And it is precisely in this sharing that we generate abundance.

Sharing creates abundance. That’s what billionaires fail to recognize. That’s what capitalism prevents many of us from seeing. 

But we know that when we share resources, when everyone pays their fair share in taxes, we can all thrive. We can all enjoy having enough healthy food to eat, a safe neighborhood to live in, access to quality healthcare, and a good education. Grounded in the resurrection, we dare to hope and work together to make this future a reality.

We’ve done it before. In the 1950s and early 1960s, the highest top marginal tax rate was above 90%. Almost nobody paid that tax rate, and nobody paid that rate on their whole income. But it generated a thriving middle class for white families. Just imagine our shared prosperity when we reject billionaires’ attempts to divide us by race, faith, or class, and come together so all of us can thrive, no exceptions!

Thank you for joining us throughout Lent as we reflected and took action for a country where resources are for sharing, not hoarding, and as we told Congress: Give Up Billionaires for Lent, and forever!  

With all of us here at NETWORK, I wish you a joyful Easter!

 

NETWORK has more shareable content, sample social media posts, and LTE guidance for you in our Lent Toolkit.

Emily TeKolste, SP, NETWORK bio

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP is NETWORK’s Grassroots Mobilization Coordinator. To read more, check out her column in Global Sisters Report, “The existence of billionaires is immoral.”

Introducing NETWORK’s 2025 Climate Portfolio

Building An Economy for All Means Protecting Our Common Home

Drake Palmer Starling
April 22, 2025, Earth Day

Today is Earth Day! As we celebrate Earth Day and look to the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ on May 24, join NETWORK’s Senior Advocate for Energy and Environmental Policy Drake Starling with reflections on our work for a healthy environment. We know that An Economy for All is a sustainable economy—one that ensures clean air and safe water, clean energy jobs, and healthy communities for all of us.

Earth Day time now for clean airFor decades, NETWORK has advocated for an economy that allows all of us, no matter our background, to thrive. But thriving doesn’t just mean fair wages, good jobs, or affordable housing. It also means clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and land that sustains life, not poisons it.

The same ultra-wealthy actors who exploit workers and rig our economy are the same ones who pollute our air, water, and land. Big Oil and mining corporations exploit our common home for profit, and then use those profits to back politicians who will allow them to keep extracting profits and passing the costs of their destruction onto the rest of us. They poison our communities—especially low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, rural towns, and Indigenous lands—leaving us with a legacy of illness, environmental devastation, and economic hardship.

As people of faith, we know this is immoral. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis reminds us that “the environment is on loan to each generation, which must then hand it on to the next.” We have a sacred duty to protect creation, to act in solidarity with the workers and families most affected by environmental harm, and to ensure clean air, water, and land for all of us. That’s why NETWORK has joined communities across the country in the work for a healthy climate, clean energy, and environmental justice.

Coming Together for Clean Air, Safe Water, and Healthy Land

This year, our advocacy will focus on three policy areas that intersect with ecological and economic justice. Our climate portfolio for the 119th Congress covers three key priorities:

    1. Clean Air and Safe Water. From oil refineries to industrial waste, pollution doesn’t fall evenly on all communities. Historically, corporations have intentionally built polluting factories and toxic waste facilities in low-income and Black and Brown neighborhoods, often leaving them with toxic air, undrinkable water, and higher rates of asthma and cancer. We’re pushing for stronger Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations to curb pollution, hold corporate polluters accountable, and ensure clean air and water for all of us.
    2. Healthy Land and Creating New Clean Energy Jobs No matter where we live, we all want safe, clean, and well-paying jobs, and we all value being able to choose to power our homes with clean energy. The time is now to make the U.S. clean energy dominant, and in a way that is just. Mining reform, responsible public land use, and protections for communities impacted by polluting and dirty industries must be at the heart of becoming clean energy dominant. We are advocating for investment in clean energy, so that we can all enjoy fresh air and healthy land and create a sustainable economy with hundreds of thousands of good, clean energy union jobs.
    3. Investing in People, Not Polluters The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created historic investments in clean energy jobs, tax credits for families, and communities across the country — from funding new solar panel manufacturing plants in Georgia and wind energy projects in Texas, to providing up to $7,500 in tax credits for families buying electric vehicles, and delivering grants to low-income communities to replace lead pipes and improve energy efficiency in public housing. Since its passage in 2022, the IRA has spurred over 330,000 new clean energy jobs across the United States, with projections estimating the creation of more than 1.5 million additional jobs by 2030. But fossil fuel corporate executives and their paid lobbyists are trying to weaken these investments so they can cash in on taxpayer money instead. We are working to ensure these investments benefit us ordinary people and our communities—not ultra-wealthy polluters.

 

Our Shared Values Define Our Advocacy

Fossil fuel executives and the lawmakers they fund want us to believe we have no say in our future—but we know better. Faith-filled justice-seekers have always been at the heart of movements for the healthy environment we deserve. We won landmark protections like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, we set national water quality standards, and we passed the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in U.S. history.

An economy that works for all of us can only be a sustainable, clean energy economy. The same faith that calls us to build An Economy for All calls us to be stewards of creation and ensure a livable planet for all. We are answering that call—together.

To find out more about NETWORK’s full climate portfolio and the issues we are working on to create a more sustainable planet, please visit our sister site, NETWORK Advocates.

Lent Week 7: Politics by the people, Not the money

Lent 2025: Giving Up Billionaires


Welcome to week 7 of our Lenten series, “Giving Up Billionaires,” as we call on Congress to give up billionaires so our communities can have what we need to thrive. Click here for the rest of our Lenten reflections and actions.

Politics by the People, Not the Money

 

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP
April 16, 2025

 

Most of us, no matter our race, gender, or language, want to be able to shape our own futures and join in making our communities better.

But billionaires, and the lawmakers who enable them, don’t want us to have a say in the decisions that govern our lives. In my reflection on the second week of Lent, you read how Elon Musk had the opportunity to end world hunger for just 2% of his total wealth and refused to do it. But he was more than willing to spend more than $250 million to fund Donald Trump’s election and buy a place in his Administration.

Today, certain Republican lawmakers and their ultra-wealthy backers are trying to amass even more power in our political system, with a bill called the SAVE Act (S.128). The “SAVE” Act endangers the ability of ordinary people like you and me to exercise our freedom to vote. It particularly targets anyone who has legally changed their name, like millions of married women.

Take action
  • Call your Senators at 1-888-422-4555 and ask them to protect our freedom to vote by voting NO on the dangerous “SAVE” Act.
  • Spread the word. Save the image that I’ve placed below to your computer or phone, then share it on social media or email it to friends and family.

Find more LTE and social media guidance in our Lent toolkit.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC (2010) opened the floodgates to unlimited spending in elections. Since the decision, the share of contributions over $10 million to Republican campaigns rose from 4% to 56% of all contributions.

Elon Musk and his billionaire buddies invest in politicians like President Trump knowing they’ll reap many rewards, one of which is the luxury of dodging their taxes. The wealthiest Americans account for a disproportionately high share of tax cheating. Since January, the Trump administration has cut 38% of employees in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) unit that audits billionaires. This has weakened our ability to ensure that the ultra-wealthy pay what they owe our country in taxes and contribute to our shared national interests.

The Trump administration is a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires.

But we believe in government by We the People. We know that the many will overcome the money, and when we act together—across races, faiths, and places—we will build a world where all of us can thrive, no exceptions!

Join us in calling our Senators today at 1-888-422-4555 and telling them to vote NO on the “SAVE” Act!

NETWORK has more shareable content, sample social media posts, and LTE guidance for you in our Lent Toolkit.

Emily TeKolste, SP, NETWORK bio

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP is NETWORK’s Grassroots Mobilization Coordinator. To read more, check out her column in Global Sisters Report, “The existence of billionaires is immoral.”

Lent Week 6: We Aren’t Falling for Division

Lent 2025: Giving Up Billionaires


Welcome to week 6 of our Lenten series, “Giving Up Billionaires,” as we call on Congress to give up billionaires so our communities can have what we need to thrive. Click here for the rest of our Lenten reflections and actions.

We Aren’t Falling for Division

 

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP
April 9, 2025

 

In the U.S., only one percent of the population earns a million dollars or more per year, and there are just 800 billionaires. Yet this small group of the wealthiest individuals has spent millions to persuade everyday Americans to vote in favor of their interests instead of our own. How have they done that? One answer: by stoking racial fear.

In the 1950s and ’60s, some politicians and their ultra-wealthy backers seized on the discomfort of the Civil Rights Movement to stoke racist resentment. They tried to weaken support for a government that works for the people, so they could instead build a government that works only for the ultra-wealthy.

Some lawmakers and their ultra-wealthy backers today still stoke racial fears by scapegoating our neighbors. The ultra-wealthy try to distract us from the economic problems that their wealth-hoarding creates by pointing the finger at immigrants, transgender people, or working people.

We see this in the Trump administration as they spin lies about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to pit white, Black, and Brown workers against each other. And, we see it this week as Republicans in Congress seek $350 billion in the budget reconciliation bill to detain and deport our immigrant neighbors.

Take action
  • Call your House Member at 1-888-897-9753 to ensure that Congress does not pay for more tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and more funding to detain and deport our immigrant neighbors by cutting Medicaid and SNAP in the budget reconciliation bill.
  • Spread the word. Save the image that I’ve placed below to your computer or phone, then share it on social media or email it to friends and family.
  • Write a letter to the editor (LTE) calling Congress to reject the budget proposal. LTEs are one of the most effective advocacy tactics. Please join us TOMORROW, Thursday, April 10 at 7:00 PM Eastern / 4:00 PM Pacific at our LTE training at our LTE workshop to learn some LTE best practices.

Find more LTE and social media guidance in our Lent toolkit.

The result of these divide-and-conquer tactics has been devastating for most of us, no matter our race or gender. As the ultra-wealthy have amassed power, they have weakened regulations that protect us and our communities and let billionaires off the hook from paying their fair share and contributing to the common good.

These lawmakers and their ultra-wealthy backers hope that we will become too divided and distracted to recognize the real culprits. But we aren’t falling for it! We refuse to fear our neighbors or to fall for attempts to divide us. We know the way through this: to come together across our differences and work to build a world that truly works for all of us–not just the ultra-wealthy. We must demand that our elected officials make the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share instead of giving them tax breaks and taking away our health care, food, and even our immigrant neighbors, to do it.

TAKE ACTION: Call your House member today at 1-888-897-9753 and tell them to protect SNAP and Medicaid and reject funding for detention and deportation and tax cuts for billionaires in the budget proposal! Then, use our Lent toolkit to write an LTE calling Congress to reject the budget proposal.

NETWORK has more shareable content, sample social media posts, and LTE guidance for you in our Lent Toolkit.

Emily TeKolste, SP, NETWORK bio

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP is NETWORK’s Grassroots Mobilization Coordinator. To read more, check out her column in Global Sisters Report, “The existence of billionaires is immoral.”

Lent Week 5: Congress: Keep Families Together, End Private Prison Profits

Lent 2025: Giving Up Billionaires


Welcome to week 5 of our Lenten series, “Giving Up Billionaires,” as we call on Congress to give up billionaires so our communities can have what we need to thrive. Click here for the rest of our Lenten reflections and actions.

Congress: Keep Families Together, End Private Prison Profits

 

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP
April 2, 2025

 

On a recent call with investors, Damon Hininger, CEO of private detention company CoreCivic, called this “one of the most exciting periods in my career.” He was referring to President Trump’s executive orders targeting immigrants–and Congress’s passage of a bill that would force the detention of some of our immigrant neighbors without due process.

It is reprehensible that President Trump’s actions to militarize our neighborhoods, tear families apart, and devastate our communities is an “exciting” career moment for an ultra-wealthy CEO.

The budget reconciliation bill that is moving through Congress includes more than $300 billion in funding for the Trump administration to detain and deport our immigrant neighbors, and to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. Republicans in Congress plan to pay for all of that by cutting our Medicaid and SNAP.

Take action
  • Call your House Member at 1-888-897-9753 to ensure that Congress does not pay for more tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and more funding to detain and deport our immigrant neighbors by cutting Medicaid and SNAP in the budget reconciliation bill.
  • Spread the word. Save the image that I’ve placed below to your computer or phone, then share it on social media or email it to friends and family.
  • Write a letter to the editor (LTE) calling Congress to reject the budget proposal. LTEs are one of the most effective advocacy tactics. If you’d like to receive LTE training, join us on Thursday, April 10 at 7:00 PM Eastern / 4:00 PM Pacific at our LTE training at our upcoming LTE workshop to learn some LTE best practices.

Find more LTE and social media guidance in our Lent toolkit.

Nearly all people in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention are held in private prisons operated by companies like CoreCivic and GEO Group. In 2022, GEO Group made $1.05 billion from ICE contracts, or 43% of its total revenue. And following Trump’s electoral victory in November, stock prices for private prison companies soared.

That’s why these private corporations are funding politicians who drum up anti-immigrant narratives.

In total, the American Immigration Council estimates that the mass deportations promised by the Trump campaign would cost $1 trillion and take ten years to carry out. With a significant portion of that money going to private contractors who celebrate this as “wins,” it’s no wonder the ultra-wealthy want us to think that immigrants are the problem. They simply deflect blame from where it belongs – among some lawmakers and their ultra-wealthy backers who hoard wealth and power, making life worse for all of us.

While some lawmakers and their ultra-wealthy backers try to divide us with hate and fear, we aren’t falling for it. Immigrants are our family members, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. No matter where we come from, we all work hard and dream of a good life for ourselves and our families. Together, we can reject scapegoating and demand that our elected officials stop caging families and invest in our communities in ways that benefit all of us.

TAKE ACTION: Call your House member today at 1-888-897-9753 and tell them to protect SNAP and Medicaid and reject funding for detention and deportation and tax cuts for billionaires in the budget proposal! Then, use our Lent toolkit to write an LTE calling Congress to reject the budget proposal.

NETWORK has more shareable content, sample social media posts, and LTE guidance for you in our Lent Toolkit.

Emily TeKolste, SP, NETWORK bio

Sr. Emily TeKolste, SP is NETWORK’s Grassroots Mobilization Coordinator. To read more, check out her column in Global Sisters Report, “The existence of billionaires is immoral.”