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February 2, 2024
News
Overview: The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which includes an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces potential amendments that would weaken the legislation and make fewer families eligible for the credit. You can still urge your senators to pass the bill with an expanded Child Tax Credit by using CCUSA's action alert ([link removed]).
Appropriations work continues as lawmakers consider how to allocate the $1.66 trillion ([link removed]) top-line number among the 12 spending bills. If they want to avoid another government shutdown, they must pass their measures before stopgap funding ends for Agriculture, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD on March 1 and for Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services-General Government, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch, and State-Foreign Operations on March 8. This latter grouping includes the authorization of TANF and related low-income assistance programs ([link removed]).
Supporting victims of violence: CCUSA endorsed a letter by the Interfaith Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence that supports additional funding for the federal Crime Victim Fund. The Crime Victims Fund, established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, is a significant funding source for victim services nationwide. Many Catholic Charities agencies receive grants from the fund to help survivors of crime pay for basic necessities, such as medical expenses, counseling, and loss of income. The agencies and their clients are already negatively impacted by inflation and the cost of providing such assistance. The problem would worsen if Congress fails to allocate sufficient funding for the program. Read the letter ([link removed]).
Ending human trafficking: February 8 is the church's annual day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking ([link removed]), as well as the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery. Catholics all over the world are encouraged to pray for an end to human trafficking and for the healing and empowerment of victims and to discern how one can join in combating this social sin. Prayers can be found here ([link removed]) and here ([link removed]), and a story about one Catholic Charities agency's efforts at opposing human trafficking can be found here ([link removed]).
Homelessness: Attend one of CCUSA's regional convenings on homelessness, which will be co-hosted by local Catholic Charities agencies. Registration is free, but space is limited. Also, a limited number of stipends are available to Catholic Charities agency staff members for travel costs. The convenings, called Advocacy Forums: A Convening on Practical Solutions to Address Homelessness ([link removed]), will provide a platform to share challenges, ideas, solutions, and models of best practices for addressing homelessness. Federal-level advocacy training will also be offered. Leaders and staff from Catholic Charities agencies, Catholic organizations, Catholic parishes, other faith communities, and local collaborators are encouraged to attend. Presenters will include CCUSA staff, Catholic Charities leaders, community leaders, and local, state, and federal agencies. Catholic Charities East Bay in Oakland, CA, will host the inaugural event on February 28 - 29, 2024.
Economy: In the week ending January 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims ([link removed]) was 224,000, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 214,000 to 215,000. The 4-week moving average was 207,750, an increase of 5,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 202,250 to 202,500. Also, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ([link removed]), total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 353,000 in January, much higher than expected,and the unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent.
 
Trivia
Q. February 11 is the World Day of the Sick. Who instituted this celebration and when?
Please send your answers to the right answer ([link removed]): "Just as Jesus is offered (presented) at the Temple, religious offer themselves to God.Plus they are called to be light to the world which ties in with Candlemas celebration." Pope Saint John Paul II instituted this day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life in 1997.
 
Connections
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