billionaires Archives - NETWORK Lobby

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

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.