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This week in Washington saw lawmakers begin to introduce proposals to combat police violence and racial injustice, and they continued discussions on the next package of coronavirus legislation. While new unemployment claims continue to exceed six figures, the Fed is sharing a grim outlook for the economy.
The outcry from communities protesting the recent killing of George Floyd has spurred dialogue for legislative action in Washington. On Monday, the House unveiled legislation targeting police use of excessive force and racial discrimination. The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 would lower the burden for identifying, tracking, and prosecuting police misconduct, while reducing the protections afforded to police officers accused of misconduct.
President Trump has indicated that his administration is finalizing an executive order that will encourage police departments nationwide to meet the most current professional standards for the use of force. The executive order has not yet been released as of the writing of this edition of the Washington Weekly.
The Senate is putting together their own police reform legislation. The proposal is expected to increase training with a focus on de-escalation tactics. Another potential provision includes bringing more police departments under reporting requirements to the FBI and the Justice Department. The Senate proposal is expected to be released next week.
The Labor Department announced another 1.5 million people filed for unemployment claims last week. Additionally, another 700,000 self-employed workers filed claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. The overall number of people accessing state benefits decreased in the current seasonally adjusted tally to 20.9 million. As states and businesses continue to reopen there is an expectation that unemployment claims will decrease.
The Federal Reserve reported on Wednesday that the U.S. economy is expected to contract by 6.5 percent this year. The Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, said, "This is the biggest economic shock in the U.S. and the world, really, in living memory. We went from the lowest level of unemployment in 50 years to the highest level in close to 90 years, and we did it in two months."
Again, the Supreme Court did not issue its DACA decision this week. CCUSA continues to closely monitor the court's opinions and related developments. CCUSA is working with agencies and elected officials in search of a legislative solution for DACA recipients.
Faith and the Common Good
Racism is a sin: a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father. Racism is the sin that says some human beings are inherently superior and others essentially inferior because of races. It is the sin that makes racial characteristics the determining factor for the exercise of human rights. It mocks the words of Jesus: "Treat others the way you would have them treat you." Indeed, racism is more than a disregard for the words of Jesus; it is a denial of the truth of the dignity of each human being revealed by the mystery of the Incarnation.
Brothers and Sisters to Us, USCCB Pastoral Letter on Racism, 1979.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
O Master, let me not seek as much
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that one receives,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,
it is in dying that one is raised to eternal life.
Trivia
Where and what important proclamation was announced on June 19, 1865?
Please send your answers to socialpolicy@catholiccharitiesusa.org
Anne Dryden was the first to write in that the 14th Amendment was passed by the U.S. Congress on June 13, 1866. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States-including former slaves-and guaranteed all citizens "equal protection of the laws." Ratified on July 9, 1868, the 14th amendment extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves. Many scholars see the 14th Amendment as a key component to equality in the United States.
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