June 11, 2021

Inside this issue

• CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly

  CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly  
 
Congress returned to work this week and by week's end a bipartisan group of senators, five Democrats and five Republicans, announced that they had reached an agreement on a framework to invest in the nation's infrastructure. No details have been shared about how this will be funded. 

Anonymous sources have indicated that the framework is expected to include about $579 billion in new spending as part of an overall package that would cost about $974 billion over five years and about $1.2 trillion over eight years. 

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of up to $1 billion, including $500 million in American Rescue Plan funding and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to support and expand the emergency food network so states, food banks and local organizations can reliably serve their communities. Building on lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA will enter into cooperative agreements with state, tribal and local entities to more efficiently purchase food from local producers and invest in infrastructure that enables partner organizations to more effectively reach underserved communities.  Here you will find Catholic Charities USA's response to this announcement. 

Vice President Harris traveled to Guatemala and Mexico this week to discuss the push factors for immigration.  In Guatemala, she highlighted the connections between the nations of the Western hemisphere and offered millions in aid and investment. In Mexico, she stressed the importance of the relationship of the United States to its neighbor to the south.  In her remarks, she stated, "Do not come, do not come," stressing that migrants should not come to the border but remain in their home countries.  Some critics believe that she should have also traveled to the border to witness the current situation. 

COVID-19 Update

The nation continues to see a reduction in COVID-19 infections.  On June 10, 2021, the CDC reported that there were 14,283 new COVID-19 cases and 398 deaths. Across the country, 172 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, including 141 million people who have been fully vaccinated.  For those interested in setting up vaccination clinics at their parish or agency, a toolkit has been created by the Department of Health and Human Services.  CDC guidance for those who have been fully vaccinated can be found here.  In addition to this promising news, people who are still not vaccinated should remain vigilant in their use of masks and social distancing. CCUSA is a founding member of the COVID-19 Community Corps to support vaccination across the country.  At this point, everyone should be able to access a free vaccine within a 5-mile radius of their location. To find the closest place for a vaccine, click here.

Please visit the CCUSA Social Policy/Advocacy page for updates and policy papers. See here.

Faith and the Common Good 

Today the church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

In Pope Francis' homily on June 7, 2013, at the Mass of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, he said:

"Jesus wanted to show us his heart as the heart that loved so deeply. This is why we have this commemoration today, especially of God's love. God loved us, he loved us with such great love. I am thinking of what St Ignatius told us.... He pointed out two criteria on love. The first: love is expressed more clearly in actions than in words. The second: there is greater love in giving than in receiving."

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus-as we understand it today-can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, particularly to the writings of Saint Gertrude the Great.

St. Gertrude the Great Prayer to the Sacred Heart

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
fountain of eternal life,
Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary.

O my adorable and loving Savior,
consume my heart with the burning fire
with which Yours is inflamed.

Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love.
Let my heart be united with Yours.
Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things.
May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.

Trivia 

Who delivered the message about the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865?

Please send your answers to [email protected]

On June 4th, the trivia question was, "Who was the first U.S. Congresswoman?"

Bill Rosanelli was the first to submit Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana who was the first woman elected to the United States Congress.  She began serving in November 1916, four years before the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteed the right of women to vote. During the first half of the twentieth century, Rankin served two nonconsecutive terms in the House which coincided with World War I and World War II. While she may be best known for her votes to keep America out of those conflicts, Rankin was also a tireless activist who worked to expand voting rights for women, to ensure better working conditions for laborers across America, and to improve health care for women and infants. Ultimately, she was a pathbreaker. "I may be the first woman member of Congress," Rankin observed in 1917. "But I won't be the last."

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.
 
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