Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, a day to reflect on Mary’s remarkable life and honor her great gifts. Religious scholars and theologians, like Sister Elizabeth Johnson in Truly Our Sister, note that Mary was born in Nazareth, a tiny Galilean town of about 1,600 people. She was a brown skinned, first-century Jewish woman who belonged to a peasant family. She lived in poverty, unable to read or write, and her daily life and labor were hard. Yet she stands as one of the most celebrated woman in history, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Catholic Church.

On this feast day we remember the life and death of Mary. We celebrate young Mary’s bravery and willingness to say YES when asked by the Angel Gabriel to become the mother of Jesus. We recall the love shared between Mary and Jesus as she urged her son to help a friend at a wedding and he did. We marvel at her unflinching courage to endure the pain of watching the Roman Empire torture and crucify her son while never leaving his side. We rejoice, as she did, when the glory of the resurrection was revealed confirming God never abandons.

On this feast day, we call on Mary to protect the young mothers, the children, and all vulnerable people struggling with the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that has indiscriminately brought communities to a precipice. This includes the families of over 160,000 Americans who have died from the virus as well as the families grappling with new infections every day here and around the world. We ask Mary to be with the millions of low-wage workers, disproportionately in Black and Brown communities, as they struggle to put food on their tables and keep a roof over their heads.

We also summon the courage of Mary to continue our work to ensure Congress passes legislation that protects families like hers – the most vulnerable, the often forgotten. God’s love of those struggling in poverty is clear: Mary, a lowly, brown, peasant woman became the mother of God’s son. This is a holy paradox and a great lesson for those who seek to follow Jesus.

Let us commit today to fight for the bold and comprehensive legislation our people need to maintain their health, their dignity and their ability to thrive. Let us push past the forces of the State who fail to see, recognize or respond to the needs of those in poverty. Their willful indifference and deception condemns the vulnerable to misery and death.

Holy Mother Mary, pray for us.

On the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, let follow in Mary’s footsteps.

In response to the call to action on the April 2020 webinar, “NETWORK’s COVID-19 Response: Updates and Our Work Ahead,” Grassroots Advocates Teams and other NETWORK members and supporters from across the country held 24 meetings with their Senators’ offices in April and May to discuss what needs to be included in the fourth COVID-19 relief bill. As these were the first meetings held during the time of social distancing, NETWORK members and Senate schedulers worked together to coordinate these meetings to take place over the phone or via video conferencing.

Watch the COVID-19 Response webinar: www.networkadvocates.org/webinarrecordings

The specific topics of each of the meetings were chosen either based on the Senator’s position within leadership or key committee, or the NETWORK members’ advocacy interest and expertise. They included each of NETWORK’s seven Mend the Gap public policy priorities, as well as unemployment insurance, nutrition assistance, and caring for those who are incarcerated or in detention centers. Our Government Relations team helped prep advocates for their meetings and participated in calls held with Hill staff.

Read more about NETWORK’s COVID-19 legislative priorities:  www.networklobby.org/covid19.

Overall, NETWORK’s advocates found the virtual in-district and Hill meetings to be as effective as meeting in person. Sister Phyllis Tierny, SSJ of Rochester, New York joined with members of the LCWR Region 2 Justice Promoters Collaborative to discuss ensuring safe and fair elections and protecting all immigrants with Hill staff in Senator Gillibrand and Senator Schumer’s offices. One reason why she helped organize these meetings is because, “In these difficult and uncertain times, the issue of who can vote has become a priority as we look forward to the election in November.  Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility for all citizens and to be deprived of the opportunity because one is housebound or in danger of contracting the virus limits who can vote.” Sister Phyllis adds, “It was a privilege to interact with the legislative assistants of our New York Senators, knowing that they are sympathetic to these issues and will raise their voices in the Senate. One of the take-aways for me is the need for a different approach to work with legislators across the aisle. It is easy to think of politicians as ‘cardboard’ and talk at them. We need to find a way to engage their humanity and begin a different conversation!”

NETWORK is grateful for all of our members’ and supporters’ advocacy efforts around COVID-19, particularly for Black, Native American, and immigrant communities, as well as for those who are incarcerated or detained.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the ways our federal government has failed to structure a society that cares for those most in need… The grave challenges facing the United States and the world are unprecedented and require a bold and compassionate response.”
–From NETWORK’s COVID-19 Legislative Priorities Leave Behind

This story was originally published in the Third Quarter 2020 issue of Connection magazine. Read the full issue. 

We are at a national turning point. The coronavirus pandemic has decimated our economy, creating an unemployment level not seen since the Great Depression. We know that there will be long term impacts from this crisis, but we’re at a juncture where we have to choose: do we solve the problems of the past or double down on an economy that kills? To create an economic system that values all of our workers and provides for all in need, we will need a far-reaching legislative agenda. This is necessary and within reach. There will be a national struggle to create structural change. In order to better understand the obstacles that social justice advocates will face as we work for change, we must learn from past historical struggles that led to critical social justice legislation.

In the 1930s, our nation faced struggles that mirror our own today. In the Great Depression, unemployment reached 25%. There was collective agreement that federal policy could bring the economy back from the brink. The Democrats won the presidency and majorities in the House and Senate on a platform of relief, recovery, and reform. This platform became the New Deal. This vast package of legislation passed between 1933 and 1939 included laws that created the Social Security Administration, put people back to work through the Civilian Conservation Corps and Public Works Administration, invested in low income regions through the Tennessee Valley Authority and Rural Electrification Act, and reformed banking and labor through the Glass-Steagall Banking Act, National Labor Relations Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Securities Exchange Act which created the Securities and Exchange Commission. New Deal laws provided financial relief to individuals, employed millions, built nation infrastructure and public housing, protected labor, and regulated an out of control finance industry.

In hindsight, these massive legislative changes seem like common sense given the scale of the Great Depression. But at the time, there was push-back. Republican legislators were against the New Deal because of conservative anti-welfare ideology, but their influence was small due to Democratic majorities. In order to pass his legislation, President Roosevelt spent more time building coalitions of support within the Democratic Party. That included appeasing populist Democrats who wanted more wealth redistribution and labor protections, as well as joining forces with racist Southern Democrats who supported segregation. FDR’s choices have had far reaching consequences.

The President answered challenges from his left by proposing tax reform and supporting protections for labor unions. This pressure had a profound impact on federal policy, and to this day the right to organize labor is protected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that FDR created. The President also chose to work with Southern Democrats to pass his signature New Deal policies, allowing segregationist legislators to include local control of new programs. This led to many of the most important New Deal programs being unavailable to people of color in Southern states. The impact of this choice can be seen today in our generational racial wealth gap.

FDR’s biggest obstacle to his New Deal was the Supreme Court. In 1935, the conservative majority court struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act and its Public Works Administration. In 1936, the justices struck down the Agricultural Adjustment Act and its ability to adjust crop prices. These laws were signature achievements of the New Deal, and the President initially attempted to pack the courts in order to nullify the threat. This backfired spectacularly, with bipartisan rebuke. These losses forced FDR to redouble his efforts to pass legislation that could withstand scrutiny by a conservative Supreme Court.

There are many lessons to learn from the New Deal era. The most obvious is that this historic package of legislation could not have passed without single party control of the government. Negotiations were still needed to gain support for the New Deal, but it never could have happened without Democratic majorities and a national mandate from the voters. Elections have consequences.

The second important lesson is that negotiations have long term impacts. By giving into the demands of Southern Democrats, FDR left people of color out of the New Deal recovery and set them back for generations. Progressive pressure also forced FDR to go further than he originally planned, with positive consequences for all working people. Deals with the devil must be fought against, and progressive pressure can make a difference.

The third lesson is that a conservative Supreme Court will attempt to stop legislation they believe goes too far. FDR’s initial plan to change the composition of the court was a failure. The only way around this threat is carefully crafted legislation and a strong legal defense.

These three lessons – that elections are critical, negotiations have consequences, and conservative courts will be an obstacle – are important learnings for our current moment.

We are months away from a national election in which control of the Presidency, House, and Senate are on the line. Depending on who wins that election, legislative negotiations will make or break our ability to protect vulnerable communities and respond to the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. And any legislation that is agreed to will have to pass the legal tests set by conservative courts.

It is our duty to learn from the past, work for the common good, and rebuild our nation for all people. To end this crisis and create an economy that reflects Catholic Social Justice, we need to embrace this challenge. We have the power to create a society that promotes justice and the dignity of all in the shared abundance of God’s creation.

During Congress’s February recess, over 100 NETWORK members visited 85 Congressional offices in 28 states. The purpose of these visits was discussing their Representative’s performance on NETWORK’s 2019 Congressional Voting Record. The 2019 Voting Record evaluated whether Members of Congress voted in accordance with Catholic Social Justice and NETWORK values. While we scored 10 votes in the House, we were unable to score the Senate, which took no substantive votes on Mend the Gap issues in 2019.

Many NETWORK members met and spoke directly with their Representative about their score. These justice-seekers emphasized the importance of federal legislation in advancing racial, economic, and gender justice. Additionally, they highlighted NETWORK’s work to mend our nation’s gaps in Washington, D.C. and across the country. In-district meetings like these help NETWORK members build relationships with their Representatives, which are critically important for NETWORK’s advocacy.

As a token of gratitude, Members of Congress who scored over 90% on our Voting Record received a congratulatory certificate. NETWORK members delivered these certificates to 72 Congressional offices in 27 states, marking the largest number of in-district visits organized by NETWORK in the past five years.

We are proud to celebrate elected officials who consistently demonstrated integrity in turbulent times. For Representatives with lower scores, NETWORK members urged them to prioritize their most marginalized constituents in 2020 and attempted to find common ground in our values moving forward.

Though NETWORK’s inability to score the Senate was frustrating, I felt beyond grateful for our members’ dedication and energy. I corresponded with 46 NETWORK activists in 10 states and felt frequently moved by their moral clarity.

NETWORK members across the country understood the importance of Congressional action, spoke urgently about the need for change, and relished visiting their Representative’s office. Your passion for justice gives me hope!

Alex Burnett is a 2019-2020 NETWORK Grassroots Mobilization Associate.

Sr. Johanna Rickl, CHM, Sr. Lynn Mousel, CHM, and Roberta Shadensack (CHM Associate) meet with Representative Loebsack (IA-02)

NETWORK member Karen Menzie spoke with Matthew Key, a staffer in Representative John Carter’s office (TX-31)

Sister Bernadine Karge, OP and Sister Benita Coffey, OSB with 100% voter, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)

Gloria Romero Roses presents a 100% certificate to Raul Martinez Jr., Deputy Chief of Staff for Representative Donna Shalala (FL-27).

In Wisconsin, Margaret Wood presents Rep. Ron Kind (WI-03) with a 100% certificate.

100% voter Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) meets with Srs. Jeanie and Elaine Hagedorn, CHM and other constituents and justice-seekers.

Sister Phyllis Tierney, SSJ congratulates Rep. Joseph Morelle (NY-25) on his 100% voting score