| |
Negotiations around a coronavirus aid package are on a collision course with annual appropriations while the economy saw a boost in jobs in August.
The last vestige of summer means lawmakers' return to Washington is just around the corner. The House and the Senate are both scheduled to return to Washington the week of September 14th. Once they return, the clock will be ticking to pass a funding measure to avert a government shutdown after September 30th. Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Speaker Nancy Pelosi informally agreed to avoid a government shutdown by passing a short-term stopgap measure free of controversial policy riders.
The tentative deal signals that a new coronavirus aid package will not be part of the negotiations. There remain large differences over how much to spend on the next aid package, particularly on state, local and tribal funding. It is unclear what steps Congress will take to resolve the impasse but rumors suggest a lame-duck scenario.
While Congress and the White House remain divided on the next aid package, some steps have been taken that attempt to mitigate the damage of the pandemic. This week, the Center for Disease Control announced that they would temporarily halt evictions for some people economically impacted by the pandemic. The ban covers any renter who expects to make less than $99,000 or joint-filing couples that expect to make less than $198,000 this year. To apply for the new moratorium, tenants must attest to a substantial loss of household income, the inability to pay full rent, and best efforts to pay partial rent. Tenants must also stipulate that eviction would be likely to leave them homeless or force them to live with others at close quarters. This does not remove the tenant's ultimate obligation to eventually pay their rent.
Despite another 833,000 workers filing new unemployment claims last week, the economy added 1.4 million jobs and the unemployment rate was at 8.4% in August. The job numbers were bolstered particularly by the hiring of 238,000 temporary Census workers. Pessimism remains as there are still roughly 29 million people utilizing some form of unemployment insurance.
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is calling on Congress to come together and find solutions to help the millions of struggling families and individuals. There is still time for you to help by telling Congress you stand with struggling persons and communities as supporters of Catholic Charities, and urge them to continue providing help to the millions of people still struggling. Tell Congress they must act now and pass a COVID-19 stimulus bill.
Once Congress wraps up coronavirus aid and stopgap funding they will leave Washington for campaign season. Many questions surround elections and voting this year. CCUSA will be hosting a webinar on September 17, 20202 at 1:30 p.m. EDT to discuss what can be done around participation in the election. The webinar will cover the Church's teaching on political participation, IRS guidelines for 501(c)(3) participation, and best practices agencies can adopt around political participation this election season. You can read more in the document authored by the Catholic Bishops of the United States, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship which outlines the Church's teaching on the political responsibility of Catholics.
Faith and the Common Good
Labor Day
As we commemorate Labor Day this weekend, we are aware that jobs are on the minds of many Americans who may be under- or unemployed at this time due to COVID-19. Click here for a number of resources for Labor Day.
Together, let us pray for the "grace to participate in God's work in healing what is so deeply wounded in our society." (Labor Day Statement 2020)
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Lord God, Master of the Vineyard,
How wonderful that you have invited us
who labor by the sweat of our brow
to be workers in the vineyard
and assist your work
to shape the world around us.
As we seek to respond to this call,
make us attentive to those who seek work
but cannot find it.
Help us listen to the struggles of those
who work hard to provide for their families
but still have trouble making ends meet.
Open our eyes to the struggles of those exploited
and help us speak for just wages and safe conditions,
the freedom to organize, and time for renewal.
For work was made for humankind
and not humankind for work.
Let it not be a vehicle for exploitation
but a radiant expression of our human dignity.
Give all who labor listening hearts
that we may pause from our work
to receive your gift of rest.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit
that you might work through us to let your justice reign.
Amen.
© 2019, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
St. Peter Claver
The feast of St. Peter Claver is celebrated on Wednesday, September 9th. Peter Claver, a native of Spain was a young Jesuit who left his homeland in 1610 as a missionary to colonies in the "New World." He was ordained in Cartagena in 1615 which had become a center of the transatlantic slave trade. Once a ship with enslaved people entered the port, Peter Claver moved to minister to the sick and exhausted passengers. He provided medicines, food, bread, brandy, lemons and tobacco. With the help of interpreters he gave basic instructions and assured his brothers and sisters of their human dignity and God's love. During the 40 years of his ministry, Fr. Claver instructed and baptized an estimated 300,000 people who were enslaved.
His apostolate extended beyond his care for those who were enslaved. He became the apostle of Cartagena, preaching in the city square, including missions to sailors and traders as well as country missions, during which he avoided, when possible, the hospitality of the planters and owners and lodged in the quarters of those who were enslaved instead.
After four years of sickness, Claver died on September 8, 1654. He was canonized in 1888, and Pope Leo XIII declared him the worldwide patron of missionary work among the enslaved.
In 1909, the Knights of Peter Claver organization was founded in Mobile, Alabama. It is the largest African American Catholic lay organization in the United States. The organization was founded by the Josephites, a Catholic order whose mission was to serve Catholic African Americans.
This year his feast day has been designated as a Day of Prayer for Peace in our Communities and will be commemorated as a national day of prayer and fasting. Celebrate St. Peter Claver with the 2020 prayer service.
Trivia
Which city was established as the first capital of the United States under the Constitution when it was ratified?
Please send your answers to socialpolicy@catholiccharitiesusa.org
On August 28th, the trivia question was, "Which Saint was canonized on September 4th and received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize?"
Cassie Paoli from Audubon, Pennsylvania was the first with the correct answer of Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, was a Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was born in Skopje (now the capital of North Macedonia), then part of the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire. After living in Skopje for eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived for most of her life.
In 1950, Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation that had over 4,500 nuns and was active in 133 countries in 2012. The congregation manages homes for people who are dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. It also runs soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, children's and family counseling programs, orphanages and schools. Members take vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and also profess a fourth vow - to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor."
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 1979 to Mother Teresa. The committee expressed its recognition of Mother Teresa's work in bringing help to suffering humanity. A feature of her work has been respecting the individual human being, for his or her dignity and innate value. The loneliest, the most wretched and the dying have, at her hands, received compassion without condescension, based on reverence for man.
She died on September 5, 1997. At the time of her death, the Missionaries of Charity had over 4,000 sisters and an associated brotherhood of 300 members operating 610 missions in 123 countries. Pope Francis canonized her at a ceremony on September 4, 2016 in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. Her feast day is September 5th.
Please share the weekly with your friends, family and networks so that we can build a movement of solidarity for those most in need!
You can also access advocacy opportunities through our advocacy and policy page.
Stay connected with our work to end poverty, follow us on Twitter at @CCharitiesUSA.
If you would like to help further Catholic Charities' commitment to alleviating, reducing, and preventing poverty you can contribute here.
|
|
