January 21, 2022

Inside this issue

• CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly
• Faith and the Common Good
• Trivia
• Connections

  CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly  
 
Overview: The Biden administration's $2 trillion climate and economic social spending package - aka the Build Back Better Act - remains stalled in the Senate. The bill, if enacted, would reduce child and health care costs and combat the climate crisis. CCUSA supports many of the bill's key provisions that would help struggling people, including enhancing the child tax credit, child care and senior care, among others. House leadership is working on a government funding package to meet the deadline of Feb. 18.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) considered the possibility of adding Covid-19 relief to the funding bill. Following the inability to win enough votes to bypass the filibuster, the Senate was unable to advance voting rights legislation. CCUSA joined other religious organizations in support of voting rights (See the joint letter here).

Budget reconciliation: The Build Back Better legislation remains on hold. Negotiations are expected to resume in the coming weeks with the possibility that the bill may be broken into smaller, targeted legislative proposals. 

Economy: In the week ending January 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial [unemployment insurance weekly] claims was 286,000, an increase of 55,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 230,000 to 231,000. The 4-week moving average was 231,000, an increase of 20,000 from the previous week's revised average. 

Funding the government: Congress continues to work toward a bipartisan omnibus bill before the December continuing resolution expires on Feb. 18. There is discussion about adding Coronavirus-related funding to the next short-term agreement to keep the government funded until a larger agreement on Fiscal Year 2022 funding can be secured.
 
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  Faith and the Common Good  
 
This Saturday, as on every Jan. 22, the Church maintains a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Today, thousands of people will gather near the mall for the 49th annual March for Life. Consistent with its perpetual teaching, the Church states that "Human life must be respected and protected from the moment of conception" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2270). The concern, therefore, is for the child within the womb, throughout his or her life, until the moment of death.

"Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection" (Evangelium vitae, No. 73).

Respect for life does not end with praying or opposition to crimes against life; there is the work of charity that the Church, based on Scripture, calls us to as well. The Catholic Charities ministry sees this call most clearly in Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, in which the Samaritan not only comes to the aid of a person in a dire moment of need but also journeys with the person toward restoration of good health (Lk 10:25-37).

The Church's Day of Prayer is a good reminder for us to continue our prayers, our advocacy in our communities, and our works of charity toward building a world in which every life is welcomed, nourished, and presented to the embrace of God.
 
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  Trivia  
 
Q. Jan. 21 is the second anniversary of what event that has affected all our lives?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

Q. What memorial was built next to the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, and then dedicated Aug. 28, 2011?

A. Rita Meyer was the first one to submit the correct answer: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is located in West Potomac Park at 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W., referencing the year the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law. The memorial's official dedication date is August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (Source).
 
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  Connections  
 
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 and be sure to text CCUSA to 50457 to receive our text alerts!  

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