Category Archives: Policy Update

Sign the Petition to Lament the Loss of Transformative Policy

Sign the Petition to Lament the Loss of Transformative Policy

We suffer when Congress fails to address the crises facing people and our planet

President Biden’s ‘Build Back Better Act’ would have reversed 40 years of trickle-down tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, provided funds for healthcare, eased financial barriers to childcare and early education, invested in wildfire prevention and drought relief efforts, and more. The House passed the BBB plan, but the Senate did not.

Instead of taking moral action, the Senate prioritized the wealthy and corporations over the people and communities that would have benefited from the jobs and equitable access to life-giving resources that the transformative legislation would have provided.

Who would have benefited from BBB? Working people, school-aged children, Black and Brown people, tax payers, rural communities, the climate and ecological concerns, Tribal lands and citizens, college students, immigrants…all of us. Congress is in the final days of budget reconciliation negotiations for less impactful, piecemeal solutions as an alternative to BBB.

We lament the investments in affordable housing, support for children and families, and efforts to combat climate change missing from the budget reconciliation package. It is shameful that our country will suffer as a result of Congress’s moral failure. Join your lament with ours and sign the petition to lament the loss of transformative policy.

We invite you to sign our petition

Sign-on to Help Protect Asylum Seekers

Encourage Senators Booker and Menendez to Continue Advocating for Asylum Seekers!

Dear Senator Booker and Senator Menendez,

Thank you for supporting a just and humane immigration system. We, people of faith living in New Jersey, support your efforts to ensure the Senate and the Biden administration restore the asylum process.

Your work to protect asylum is important to us because as people of faith, we value the inherent human dignity of each person and recognize their right to seek asylum.

The upcoming congressional work period will be pivotal for immigration. As Congress creates next year’s federal budget, we urge you to continue working to ensure that Congressional leadership does not allow the continuation of Title 42 expulsions to be codified into law. We also ask that you urge your colleagues working on bipartisan immigration reform to support policies that are just and refuse to divide up or preference immigrant communities.

Thank you for your commitment to advancing the common good. Together, we can build a nation that lives up to our values.

In Solidarity,

New Jersey Residents – Add Your Name

Hundreds of Miles of Wall and Two Years of Title 42 Later: Are We Any Better Off?

Hundreds of Miles of Wall and Two Years of Title 42 Later: Are We Any Better Off?

Julia Morris
May 9, 2022

“Title 42 is a policy failure plain and simple. It does nothing to stop COVID from being spread and by circumventing immigration law it actually goes against the principles on which our country was founded.
Ending it was the right decision”
– Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-7)

A Trump appointed federal judge ordered a two week hold on the phasing out of the Title 42 expulsion policy, raising doubts about the Biden administration’s ability to restore asylum on May 23.

As Pope Francis said, “[T]housands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation … Let us remember the Golden Rule: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’” (Papal address to the United States Congress, 9/24/15.)

Faith and secular border reception agencies are ready to receive asylum seekers and hope that Congress and the Administration will treat them as partners in this journey so that they can provide the best service to our siblings at the border. Rather than fall victim to anti-immigrant rhetoric, we have an opportunity now to live up to our values and show compassion.

Title 42 is a death sentence for these vulnerable asylum seekers. At its core, Title 42 is an obscure public health law weaponized advance cruel, xenophobic immigration policies under the guise of public health.

We know how to curb COVID-19: vaccines, masking, and social distancing. A xenophobic and selective ban on individuals and families fleeing harm only undermines public trust in federal institutions like the CDC.

We can protect public safety without turning away vulnerable families coming to this country for a better life.

Join NETWORK activists in restoring the right to asylum, email Congress now!

20+ Faith Organizations Send Letter to Senate in Support of Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

20+ Faith Organizations Send Letter to Senate in Support of Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Gina Kelley
June 23, 2022

In this 117th Congress, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is closer than ever to becoming law. For 10 years, a broad range of organizations have worked to get this critical piece of legislation to where it is today. Now, with strong bipartisan support and enough votes to overcome the filibuster, the faith community has come together to show the urgency and need for its passage. More than 20 leading faith organizations have sent a letter to every Senate office urging each Senator to prioritize the bill and to vote in support of the legislation.

The letter’s message: “The faith community values the dignity of work and the family. Pregnant workers and their families need the Senate’s action. In the face of infant formula shortages and national economic difficulties, families across the country need the PWFA. We also know that support for healthy pregnancies means support for pregnant workers. The Senate must deliver on the promise of a dignified life for working families.”

The time is now to give pregnant workers the dignity they deserve— it is time to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Read the full letter here.

The letter was signed by the following organizations: Catholic Labor Network; Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice; Church World Service; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S.; Council on American-Islamic Relations; Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington D.C.; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Franciscan Action Network; Friends Committee on National Legislation; ICNA Council for Social Justice; Justice Revival; Leadership Conference of Women Religious; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Council of Jewish Women; Pax Christi USA; Sojourners; The Episcopal Church; Union for Reform Judaism

NETWORK Marks LGBTQ+ Equal Pay Day

NETWORK Marks LGBTQ+ Equal Pay Day

Gina Kelley
June 14, 2022

On June 15th, LGBTQ+ activists and allies are highlighting disparities the LGBTQ+ community, particularly LGBTQ+ people of color, face regarding economic security. Corporate rainbow logos and Pride month partnerships do not address the economic oppression of our LGBTQ+ siblings. The full picture of economic oppression the LGBTQ+ community is grappling with is unclear due to how under researched the community is. The preliminary data we do have outlines the situation as dire, and as more data is filled in, the situation looks worse than originally thought.

The Economic Reality

Research has found that LGBTQ+ adults in the United States, on average, fare worse economically than their straight and cisgender counterparts. According to a 2019 analysis, about one in five LGBTQ+ adults in the United States (22%) live in poverty, compared to 16% of their straight and cisgender counterparts. In particular, the poverty rates of transgender adults (29%) and cisgender bisexual women (29%) are devastatingly high. Additionally, Black (40%) and Latinx (45%) transgender adults are more likely to live in poverty than transgender people of any other race.

Additionally, the wage gap between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ people is potentially even larger than what current statistics show, as the present analysis only includes full-time workers. Research has repeatedly found that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed relative to their straight and cisgender peers.

The Census Problem

In 2020, for the first time ever, the Census asked whether adults are involved in same- or opposite- sex married or unmarried partnerships. This is a necessary step to creating accurate information about the makeup of households across the country. However, the LGBTQ+ community is not limited to relationship status—but includes gender identity and sexual orientation. Activists and Members of Congress advocated for questions around these identities to be included but were denied by the Census Bureau, citing that federal data was unneeded.

This lack of information leaves an estimated 80% of adults in the LGBTQ+ community unrepresented in the Census. This exclusion is devastating to the folks and families across the country as the census determines the allocation of billions of federal funds every year. This funding helps monitor and enforce equal employment and housing opportunities, identify which populations are not getting needed medical services, and help allocate resources to programs like Medicaid, CHIP, and TANF.

Economic Polices Rooted in Solidarity

Raising the Minimum Wage

An estimated 1,450,000 LGBT adults would see an increase in earnings by 2025 if the minimum wage were increased from $7.25 to $15 per hour. Research has also indicated that increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour would reduce the proportion of male same-sex couples living in poverty by one-third and female same-sex couples by almost one-half. Additionally, raising the minimum wage is projected to produce similar reductions in poverty among LGBT people who are not in same-sex couple households, with the larger gains for those with the highest rates of poverty—Black, Latinx, bisexual, and transgender adults.

Inclusive Definitions in Paid Leave Policies

Many families include unmarried partners, extended relatives, and close loved ones who may not share a biological or legal relationship. All families should be given the same opportunities and protections under the law. Creating inclusive definitions of family in paid sick day policies and paid family and medical leave programs is essential to protecting both our LGBTQ+ families and any other families that stray from a nuclear definition—including grandparents or siblings who take on parental roles. Including chosen family in paid leave policies would ensure that LGBTQ+ families do not have to make impossible decisions between essential caretaking work and paycheck. A 2017 survey found that 32% of people reported that they took time off to provide care for a chosen family member. This rate is much higher with LGBTQ+ individuals. A 2020 survey found that 63% of LGBTQ workers (including 71% of transgender workers) reported taking time off to care for a close friend or chosen family member.

Inclusive Economy

While this Pride Month should be filled with joy, celebration, and affirmation of the beautiful identities and lives on our LGBTQ+ neighbors and loved ones—we must also be called to build a world that fully supports everyone. Currently our economy and our systems fall woefully short of inclusivity. We must collectively work towards building an economic system that does not leave people out to dry, with insurmountable obstacles in their way. There are key policy solutions we know will help us make progress towards this vision: a well-rounded and representative census, raising the minimum wage, holistic paid leave policies, and even more. This Pride Month, we recommit ourselves to celebration, solidarity, and advocacy for and with the LGBTQ+ community.

Biden Administration Expanded Broadband Access and Affordability

Jarrett Smith
June 7, 2021

The Biden Administration Expanded Broadband Access and Affordability with funding from last year’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Millions of families across the United States now have access to affordable, and even free, high-speed internet. Affordable broadband is a matter of racial and economic justice, as those without broadband are disproportionately Black and Brown folks, low-income families, or people in rural communities.

Every aspect of life in the U.S. requires access to the internet, including social services, health care, education, unemployment benefits, and more.  As the White House pointed out in their statement, “High-speed internet service is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.” The coronavirus pandemic has proven that expanded Broadband access and affordability are critical for accessing health care, kids’ primary education, and other needs for communities across the country.  We must reduce costs and increase access to broadband so no family has to go without high-speed internet or cut back on other necessities to afford their internet payments.

Learn About the Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) launched in January 2022 to help more families afford broadband. It is the largest high-speed internet affordability program in our nation’s history. More than 11 million households are already enrolled in the ACP, but experts estimate that 48 million households—nearly 40% of households in the country—qualify.

Families whose household income is 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or less—about $55,000 per year for a family of four or $27,000 for an individual—or who have a member of their household participating in Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or a number of other federal support programs, are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

ACP provides households a discount of up to $30/month on internet service ($75/month on Tribal lands).  In addition to this discount, the Biden administration recently announced that 20 leading internet providers across the country have agreed to either reduce prices or raise speeds on internet plans they offer to provide ACP-eligible households with quality internet for no more than $30/month. When families pair the $30 ACP benefit with one of these plans, they will receive high-speed internet at no cost.

Connecting Families with Expanded Broadband Access and Affordability

Nearly 40% of households in the country qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and we need to make sure that every family that can benefit from this program does. The White House launched GetInternet.gov, an, easy-to-use website with details about signing up for ACP and finding participating internet providers, and is partnering with public interest organizations like Catholic Charities USA to conduct direct enrollment and outreach.

Visit GetInternet.gov today to find out if you qualify and share this information with your family, friends, and community.

Hopes for a Reparations Commission Moves to the White House

Hopes for a Reparations Commission Moves to the White House

Julia Morris
June 1, 2022

For over a year the drum beat for reparations has been building. After 30 years of Congressional delays, for the first time on January 4, 2021 H.R. 40 made it out of committee and onto the House floor. House leadership knows this will not pass in the Senate, so the pressure is now on the Biden Administration to establish a committee to execute a reparations study, which will lay out the plan to make amends for the United States original sin of slavery and the systemic racial oppression that followed. Reparatory justice activists, social justice groups, and faith-based organizations are urging the Biden Administration this spring to finally follow through on a commitment made on the 2020 campaign trail. The Biden-Harris campaign promised, in ‘Lift Every Voice: The Biden Plan for Black America’, to tackle systemic racism and the continuing impacts of slavery by “supporting a study of reparations.” 

You may ask what would this look like? A commission will study the impact of 400+ years of racist policies, laws, and practices that have deprived Blacks fair access to participation in America’s cultural, political, social and economic life. Join NETWORK in calling for President Biden to establish a commission to study reparations via executive order, call the White House at 1-888-422-4555 or email the White House here. 

The commission would evaluate programs like the Homestead Act and the GI Bill. Both were federal programs designed to help families achieve economic footing in times of change. The Homestead Act granted land out West at the turn of the 20th Century, and the GI Bill helped forge the middle class after World War II with home buying and educational opportunities for veterans These programs paved the way for the US middle class, it was not accidental or unintentional that these programs were denied to Black families. In fact, today schools are more segregated now that they were at the time of Brown vs. Board of Education. 

Chattel slavery was abolished in 1865, but because of the legacy of discrimination that flows from slavery, the Black community continues to suffer. For too long in this country, the expectation and delivery of better housing, education, jobs – has only been a reality for white families. The legacy of being Black is discrimination and oppression. We see it in our societal frameworks, access to fair wages and quality employment, the criminal legal system 

What is not named cannot be healed. This is a historic opportunity to, using the frame of the Catholic tradition, name our original sin of slavery and move towards repair.  

NETWORK is joining with partner organizations to urge President Biden to create a federal commission to study reparations by Juneteenth (June 19, 2022). Add your voice, call the White House at 1-888-422-4555. Or email President Biden to issue an executive order to create a federal commission to study reparations today!

House Staffers Successfully Get the Green Light to Unionize

House Staffers Successfully Get the Green Light to Unionize

Gina Kelley
May 12, 2022

In March, NETWORK shared a blog discussing calls from Congressional Staffers for livable wages and the right to unionize. Last week in a Dear Colleague Letter, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) announced that the House of Representatives would vote on a Resolution from Congressman Mike Levin (CA-49) to allow House staffers to unionize and also shared that $45,000 will be the new minimum annual salary for House staffers. Thankfully, that vote was a successful one.  

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice applauds the passage of H.Res. 915 as well as the new $45,000 minimum annual pay standard for House staff. This is a great step in the right direction for workers’ rights on Capitol Hill.  

As people of faith, we know that supporting a living wage is one of the most effective ways to uphold the dignity of work. Catholic Social Justice teaches that work is more than a way to make a living — it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. Additionally, our faith affirms the right of workers to organize. We know it is a moral imperative that all workers are free to act in solidarity with one another and make their voices heard. Our belief in the intrinsic value of work and workers leads us to strongly support the expansion of the right of workers to bargain collectively, form unions, and engage in collective action.  

Representative Levin’s Resolution and Speaker Pelosi’s implementation of a minimum salary uphold the dignity of work. As an organization that proudly collaborates with Congressional staff — and has done so for 50 years — NETWORK affirms the faithful vocation of public service. We thank those who have answered that call and proudly support policies that recognize the dignity of that calling. 

Finally, while we are thrilled to see these actions taken to support Congressional Staffers, we simultaneously urge the Senate to prioritize the economic security of workers in all industries. Everyone deserves a livable wage and the right to join a union.  

A child wearing a cap walks with a backpack and a stuffed animal at the US-Mexico border

164 Catholic Organizations Call on President Biden to End Title 42 on Vatican World Day for Migrants and Refugee

164 Catholic Organizations Call on President Biden to End Title 42 on Vatican World Day for Migrants and Refugee

Ronnate Asirwatham
September 23, 2021

164 Catholic organizations joined together to send a letter to President Biden ahead of the World Day for Migrants and Refugees demanding he end the misuse of Title 42. Title 42, first invoked by the Trump administration and affirmatively continued by the Biden administration, has been used to expel an unknown number of asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, putting them in harm’s way and denying them the opportunity to seek life-saving protection.

After a federal district court ordered the Biden administration to stop using Title 42 to expel migrant families with children on September 16, giving the Administration two weeks to comply, the Biden administration doubled down on its support for this unjust policy by immediately appealing the decision. President Biden can and must take action to stop the misuse of the policy once and for all.

The letter calls on the President to listen to and act on Pope Francis’ message to the world for this Sunday’s  107th World Day for Migrants and Refugees, to make, “no distinction between natives and foreigners, between residents and guests, since it is a matter of a treasure we hold in common, from whose care and benefits no one should be excluded.”

The letter was co-lead by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., or CLINIC and NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. Notable signatories include: Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, National Black Sisters’ Conference, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Pax Christi USA, Kino Border Initiative, Hope Border Institute, the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame, Catholic Charities Atlanta, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana, and many more. See the letter and full list of 164 signers here.

Black Maternal Health Week

Ending the Black Maternal Health Crisis Is a Moral Imperative

Ending the Black Maternal Health Crisis Is a Moral Imperative

Joan F. Neal
April 15, 2022

This week marks the five-year anniversary of Black Maternal Health Week in the United States. During Black Maternal Health Week, advocates and elected officials build community and draw awareness toward the maternal mortality epidemic that is sweeping our nation. At NETWORK, we believe that access to quality, affordable health care is a fundamental human right. It is our moral responsibility as Catholics to ensure accessible health care for all and eliminate racial and economic health disparities. As Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) who is the co-chair and co-founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus stated, “This work is deeply personal” during an interfaith event NETWORK helped to organize.

Statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in February revealed that the Black maternal mortality crisis has only gotten worse. The data shows that the mortality rate for Black women rose by 26 percent in 2020—a rate three times greater than that of white women. In an interfaith event last month, Representative Alma Adams (NC-12) said, “Overlooking the pain of Black women in health care results from implicit bias and racism.” The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, especially for birthing people of color. This is unjust and sinful.

On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced a historic call to action to improve lives and health outcomes for birthing people, especially people of color, across the country. The Biden-Harris administration made a series of announcements that will work toward health equity including extending Medicaid and CHIP coverage for a full year after pregnancy in 11 additional states, and proposing “Birthing-Friendly” hospital designations to make improvements in maternal health outcomes. These announcements, along with the 12 key bills in the Momnibus Act, are vital steps forward to invest in maternal health and dismantle systemic racism in our health care systems.

Black mothers should not fear for their lives or their infant’s life while giving birth. As Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-7) said during Wednesday’s Black Maternal Health Week event, “Birthing while Black should not be a death sentence.” NETWORK is proud to see the work done by the Biden-Harris administration to achieve healthcare equity for Black mothers, and continually supports the work of the Black Maternal Health Caucus to pass the Momnibus. With ongoing advocacy and a commitment to Build Anew, we can end the Black Maternal Mortality crisis in the United States. And we should do that.