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After the Budget Bill: What’s at Stake for Our Common Home — and How We Respond

After the Budget Bill: What’s at Stake for Our Common Home — and How We Respond

Drake Starling
July 18, 2025

From the coasts of California to the coalfields of Appalachia, from Midwestern farms to Gulf Coast towns, families across the country want the same things: clean air, safe water, a livable planet, and a future full of opportunity. That’s why, in 2022, communities of faith and frontline advocates alike came together to help push the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) across the finish line—bringing with it groundbreaking investments in clean energy, environmental justice, and climate resilience.

But now, much of that progress is on the chopping block. The budget reconciliation bill that just narrowly passed in Congress rolls back key provisions of the IRA, gutting investments in clean energy, rescinding funds for frontline communities, and stalling the just transition we’ve fought for. Why? Because the Republican lawmakers who backed this bill chose to prioritize the profits of fossil fuel executives over the well-being of their constituents. This bill isn’t about fiscal responsibility—it’s about letting polluters off the hook.

In the wake of Congress passing the budget reconciliation bill, we at NETWORK are reflecting on the devastating toll this legislation takes on our environment — and the people and communities who bear the brunt of environmental harm. We know the true cost of this bill: polluted air, unsafe water, and a dangerous step backward in the fight to protect our climate.

A Blow to Clean Energy and Creation Care

The budget reconciliation bill strips away billions in clean energy investments that were once made possible through the historic Inflation Reduction Act. These investments supported wind and solar energy projects, domestic clean manufacturing, and affordable electricity for millions of families. Now, with clean energy tax credits rolled back and critical funding rescinded from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, we face the chilling prospect of stalled innovation and rising energy costs, especially for low-income households.

Clean Water Under Threat

The reconciliation bill also rescinds funds meant to improve water infrastructure and protect communities from toxic pollution. The backers of this bill gutted grants to replace lead pipes, clean up PFAS contamination, and address long-standing water inequities in marginalized communities. This decision endangers public health and disproportionately harms communities of color, Tribal nations, and rural families already facing unsafe drinking water.

Sacrificing Clean Air for Corporate Polluters

Perhaps most abhorrent is the bill’s attack on clean air. The bill’s backers slashed the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget and eliminated programs designed to reduce carbon emissions and monitor air pollution near schools and ports. They also weakened enforcement of the methane emissions fee—a critical tool for reducing one of the most potent greenhouse gases—and offered new giveaways to fossil fuel CEOs under the guise of “permitting reform.”

Our Faith Calls Us to Respond

At NETWORK, we believe in a government that protects the dignity of all people and cares for our Common Home. The decisions made in this budget bill are not just policy choices — they are moral choices. Pope Francis was clear: “The climate crisis is not merely an environmental issue; it is a social issue.” But once again, the lawmakers voting for this bill were willing to sacrifice our communities—our health, our economic stability, and our futures—all in the name of profit and corporate greed.

What We’re Doing Now

We’re not standing idly by. In response to this dangerous legislation:

  • We are mobilizing our faith partners to act boldly, including through writing op-eds and letters to the editor and holding district meetings with lawmakers who supported these cuts.
  • We are defending what’s left of the Inflation Reduction Act by lobbying Congress to protect and restore funding for clean energy tax credits, energy efficiency programs, and environmental justice initiatives.
  • We are educating our supporters and all people of goodwill through webinars, briefings, and faith-based materials that explain what’s at stake — and how our Catholic values compel us to act.
  • We are building coalitions with environmental, labor, and faith-based partners to resist further rollbacks and to demand a just transition to a clean energy economy that centers workers and frontline communities.

This moment is difficult, but it is not the end. We are grounded in hope, fueled by faith, and committed to justice. Together, we will continue to advocate for policies that protect creation and promote the dignity of all people.

NETWORK Lobby's blog ends with an image that reads Act Boldly, Act UrgentlyTake Action

Contact your elected officials. Tell them that slashing climate, clean air, and clean water funding is unacceptable. Urge them to reject future rollbacks and to support legislation that heals both people and the planet.

Because justice demands it. And faith compels it.

Joan F. Neal smiles as she addresses the March 5 Ash Wednesday service for a compassionate budget.

The Ash Wednesday Call for a Compassionate Budget

The Ash Wednesday Call for a Compassionate Budget Faith

 

Leaders, Members of Congress Hold Ash Wednesday Prayer Service Calling on Congress to Choose Families Over Billionaires

 

Sr. Erin Zubal, OSU, NETWORK Chief of Staff, distributes ashes at the March 5 prayer service for a compassionate budget on Capitol Hill.

Sr. Erin Zubal, OSU, NETWORK Chief of Staff, distributes ashes at the March 5 prayer service for a compassionate budget on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Jim Clyburn opens the March 5 Ash Wednesday service for a compassionate budget.

Rep. Jim Clyburn

Representatives of different religious traditions offered prayers as Members of Congress joined with them for a service, “Ash Wednesday: A Call to Action for a Compassionate Budget,” on March 5 on Capitol Hill. After a ceremonial distribution of ashes to mark the holy day, those gathered lamented the the harms the GOP plans on Budget Reconciliation pose to health, food, taxes, immigration/militarization, and democracy.

The Democratic Faith Working Group led by Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06) and members of the Washington Interfaith Staff Community came together in  the wake of President Trump’s address to Congress and decried how the proposed budget would gut health care and food programs for families to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and the mass deportation of beloved immigrant communities.

Joan F. Neal spoke about the proposed budget reconciliation's impact on taxes. She was joined by Members of Congress, faith leaders, and NETWORK on Capitol Hill at an Ash Wednesday service of prayer, distribution of ashes, and lament over the House budget reconciliation resolution and the harm it will do to individuals and families across the country.

Joan F. Neal

Joan F. Neal, Interim Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice addressed the tax injustice at the heart of the Budget Reconciliation:

“Right now, the House Budget Resolution calls for giving at least 4.5 trillion dollars in additional tax cuts to billionaires, which they intended to pay for by taking food from families, and healthcare for millions — this at a time when so many people in this country don’t know where their next meal is coming from or are one medical bill away from financial ruin. That is immoral. The faithful ask Congress today: Whose side are you on?”

The service marked the beginning of the 40-day season of Lent and offered prayers for strength and guidance while lamenting the passage of a budget resolution that would significantly harm millions of hardworking people and families to pay for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, if it becomes law. The faith leaders, including NETWORK Chief of Staff Sr. Erin Zubal, OSU distributed ashes to the people gathered.

Rev. Camille Henderson, the Senior Executive Director for Advocacy of the General Board of Church and Society offered the opening gathering prayer. United Methodist Bishop Julius C. Trimble, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society was among the Christian faith leaders who spoke — along with Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, President and National Secretary, National Council of Churches; Rev. Terri Hord Owens, General Minister and President of the Disciples of Christ; Bridget Moix, General Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation; Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould, Political Director at Faith in Action; and Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.

Rep. Clyburn opened the service with his close reading of Matthew 25. He noted that most people jump to the “whatever you did for the least among you, you did for me” portion of the Scripture. But his focus, he said, is on Jesus speaking of how people are to use their talents–things of great value–out in the world. This question, he said, could be reflected in the priorities reflected in the Federal Budget.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05) echoed this sentiment:

“Show me your checkbook and I will tell you what your values are,” said Rep. Cleaver. “The checkbook of the United States declares who we are. … To talk about cutting Medicaid is a sin and an insult to the God who lets us walk around and breathe.”

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver speaks at the March 5, 2025 Ash Wednesday prayer service for a compassionate budget.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver

Cleaver shared what he wanted to call out during Trump’s address to Congress:

“Elon Musk, how much did you get? The poor got nothing! Speaker Johnson, how much did you get? The poor got nothing! Donald Trump, how much did you get? The poor got nothing!”

Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11) connected the values of her faith to concrete human needs.

“This is not a call of faith but a call to action. Our faith isn’t about what we believe, it is about how we serve,” she said. “Seniors are choosing between groceries and medication. Parents are working multiple jobs but can’t make ends meet. … We are called to walk with one another.”

Rep. Shontel Brown speaks on the connection of faith and the human needs of people in her district at the March 5, 2025 Ash Wednesday prayer service on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Shontel Brown

Rep. Brown added: “In my district, one in five families, thirty-two percent of seniors, and fifty-one percent of people with disabilities rely on SNAP. These numbers represent people, our neighbors, our friends, and our fellow congregants. This is not about politics, this is about people getting the help they need.”

Rep. Chuy Garcia (IL-04) lamented that cuts to vital programs will go to tax cuts for billionaires, as well as mass deportation efforts by the Administration.

Rep. Chuy Garcia speaks on the impact on immigrant communities posed by the Budget Reconciliation at the March 5 Ash Wednesday service on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Chuy Garcia

“My ask is that Republicans give up billionaires for Lent and to reflect deeply on the needs of ordinary people across the country, especially the condition of 11 million undocumented migrants needing a pathway to citizenship,” he said.

“I pray that we will also reflect on the violent rhetoric that has been used by President Trump and other Members of Congress, which is rooted in lies and distortions,” he added.

“Immigrants give so much to this country. Let’s not forget that they pay taxes — over $580 billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes. They are our neighbors, small business people, they are the other children who attend school with our own. They are human beings. ”

Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) spoke of a different kind of reconciliation than the budget process:

Rep. Robin Kelly speaks about how millions of people will be harmed by cuts to Medicaid under the proposed GOP budget at the Ash Wednesday prayer service for a compassionate budget on March 5.

Rep. Robin Kelly

“Ash Wednesday is a holy day that marks the beginning of repentance and reconciliation,” she said. “But what I cannot reconcile is a budget that harms hardworking Americans.”

She questioned how her Republican colleagues could justify to their constituents back home the cuts they are proposing.

“Thousands of their constituents, just like ours, rely on Medicaid for health care,” she noted. In her own district, she added, over 300,000 people risk losing their health care under the GOP budget.

Rep. Tim Kennedy (NY-26) said a budget that fails in this way is essentially a betrayal of the founding principles of the United States.

Rep. Tim Kennedy addresses the impacts of the GOP Budget Reconciliation at the Ash Wednesday prayer service for a compassionate budget on Capitol Hill on March 5.

Rep. Tim Kennedy

“We have the opportunity right now to actually uplift hardworking families, help our seniors, protect our children,” he said. “Though we humans are not perfect, our forefathers built a democracy that helped lift so many out of poverty, illiteracy, and oppression.”

He added, “Tyrants have no place in our society. We fought to protect our democracy, a system that gives each person a voice in our nation, a voice that time and time again we as Americans have chosen to use for the common good.”

Of the numerous faith leaders from across traditions who spoke at the event, Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould of Faith in Action asserted that the moral and policy perils presented by the Budget Reconciliation require action.

“This season of Lent was the season when Jesus went into the temple and flipped the tables over,” she said. “Our job is not to sit by silently.”

Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould of Faith in Action speaks at the March 5 Ash Wednesday service for a compassionate budget on Capitol Hill

Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould of Faith in Action speaks at the March 5 service, “Ash Wednesday: A Call to Action for a Compassionate Budget,” on Capitol Hill.

Just Politics Catholic Podcast Season 2

Season 2 of Just Politics Podcast is Complete – Listen Now!

Season 2 of Just Politics Podcast is Complete – Listen Now!

August 24, 2023

After a successful inaugural season of the Just Politics podcast, produced in collaboration with U.S. Catholic magazine, we came back for an exciting second season!  

Our hosts Sister Eilis McCulloh, H.M.Colin Martinez Longmore, and Joan F. Neal spoke with more advocates, Catholic Sisters, scholars, faith leaders, and even a Vatican official about how we can transform our politics for the common good.  

In season 2, which wrapped up in May, our hosts covered topics ranging from Pope Francis and integral ecology to the urgent, Spirit-filled call for economic justice, health care access, and women’s leadership.  

You can find the podcast on the U.S. Catholic website, as well as on Apple PodcastsSpotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe, and join the conversation about #JustPoliticsPod on social media!  

Also check out Just Politics press at www.uscatholic.org/justpolitics where you can also sign up for email updates, learn more about each episode, and find additional reading on each episode’s topics. 

COMING SOON: Season 3 of Just Politics podcast drops Monday, Sept. 11!