Overview: The world celebrated the election of Robert Francis Prevost as the new Bishop of Rome. The former cardinal has taken the regnal name of Pope Leo XIV. He was born and raised in Chicago, and he is the first pope from the United States. The world will come to know Pope Leo soon enough, but perhaps the choice of his name hearkens back to Pope Leo XIII, who led the church through the industrial revolution with emphasis on Catholic social teaching. Perhaps Leo XIV is thinking of leading the church through what some are calling a new industrial revolution driven by advances in technology.
Tax policy: CCUSA joined members of Leadership 18, a coalition of national charitable organizations dedicated to supporting individuals and families in need across the U.S., in asking congressional leadership responsible for tax exemptions and policies to encourage tax policies that incentivize philanthropic giving and to expand the charitable deduction to non-itemizers, as proposed in the Charitable Act (S. 317/H.R.801).
Economy: In the week ending May 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 228,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 241,000. The 4-week moving average was 227,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 226,000.
Call to action: With Medicaid cuts being targeted, you can make a difference by contacting your members of Congress and asking them to protect Medicaid.
Town Halls: We have attached to this message a list of upcoming town hall meetings hosted by members of Congress. This is a great way to have your voice heard. Please reach out to your member for more details. You can use CCUSA's "Find Your Elected Officials" tool.