December 11, 2020

Inside this issue

• CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly

  CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly  
 
A looming lapse in government funding along with COVID aid talks dominated conversations in Washington this week.

On Wednesday, the House passed a one-week stopgap bill under suspension of the rules, requiring approval from two-thirds of the chamber, shifting the funding deadline to December 18th. On December 11th, the Senate passed a short-term measure by a unanimous voice vote without much drama and sent senators home for the weekend without a clear picture of what awaits next week. President Trump is expected to sign it before midnight.

Simultaneously, Congress is continuing their negotiations over a new COVID stimulus aid package. The House and Senate continue to remain at an impasse as Democratic congressional leaders rejected two different Republican proposed offers on coronavirus relief. There remains a bipartisan coalition assembling a $908 billion coronavirus package. The full details of the package are still being hammered out, but a broad framework was released on Wednesday. The potential bill would provide roughly $160 billion for state and local governments, and some liability protections for businesses. These were two of the largest negotiating hurdles that tripped up previous negotiations. The bill also includes:

·        An expansion of unemployment benefits to $300 a week for 16 weeks

·        $300  billion for the Payment Protection Program (PPP)

·        $25 billion in rental assistance to states and local governments

·        Extending the eviction moratorium until the end of January 2021

·        $10 billion for child care providers and $82 billion for education providers

·        Additional funds for testing and vaccines

If Washington is unable to come to an agreement before the end of the year, many of the provisions passed in the CARES Act protecting poor and vulnerable families, such as expanded unemployment insurance, nutrition programs, a moratorium on evictions, and other provisions,  will end. Catholic Charities USA is calling on lawmakers to come together and pass a legislative package to provide frontline workers with personal protective equipment and keep vulnerable people housed and fed. We implore Congress to address the pandemic and the economic crisis facing millions of people across the country.

This week saw an unexpected jump in unemployment claims to the highest levels since mid-September. The Labor Department reported that seasonally unadjusted unemployment claims rose to 947,504 this week, an increase of 228,982 from the previous week. While another 427,600 people applied for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.  Continuing unemployment claims also saw a rise of 230,000 to 5.76 million, the first uptick since August. The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs is close to 19 million.

Coronavirus cases continue to climb across the country. On December 10th there were at least 223,570 new coronavirus cases, an increase of 28% from 14 days ago, and 2,923 new coronavirus deaths, a 49% increase from 14 days ago. CCUSA encourages everyone to follow all health guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and state governments.
-- 2010 Respect Life Liturgy Guide, USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities.

Faith and the Common Good
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Coronation of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.  Pope Francis grants to all Catholic faithful of the world the possibility to obtain a plenary indulgence while remaining at home. Learn more here.

The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe originates in the 16th century. St. Juan Diego was on his way to a nearby town to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady. Juan was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared, and within it stood an indigenous maiden dressed similar to an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico City, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

Eventually, the bishop told Juan to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time, Juan's uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Juan to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Juan, assured him that his uncle would recover, and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma.

On December 12, when Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop's presence, the roses fell to the ground. On the tilma where the roses had been appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac.  The tilma can be seen today at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

A Prayer to our Lady of Guadalupe
Virgin of Guadalupe,
Patroness of unborn children,
we implore your intercession
for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant parents to welcome from God
the priceless gift of their child's life.
Console parents who have lost that gift
through abortion,
and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.
Teach us to cherish
and to care for family and friends
until God calls them home.
Help us never to see others as burdens.
Guide our public officials
to defend each and every human life
through just laws.
Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life,
to speak for those who have no voice.
We ask this in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen

Trivia
Twenty years ago, what did the UN designate December 18 to commemorate?
Please send your answers to [email protected]
On December 4, the trivia question was, "According to the Constitution, what must occur on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December of presidential election years?"

Scott Cooper, the Director of Parish Social Ministry at Catholic Charities Eastern Washington was the first to correctly answer that The Electoral College must meet to cast its votes in the presidential election. 

As prescribed in the U.S. Constitution, American presidents are elected not directly by the people, but by the people's electors. The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as an alternative to electing the president by popular vote or by Congress.

Electoral votes are allocated among the States based on the Census. Every State is allocated a number of votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation-two votes for its senators in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of its Congressional districts. A total of 538 electors form the Electoral College. The candidate who obtains 270 votes or more wins.
Please share the weekly with your friends, family and networks so that we can build a movement of solidarity for those most in need!

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If you would like to help further Catholic Charities' commitment to alleviating, reducing, and preventing poverty you can contribute here.  

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