Another important Christian organization has issued a statement critical of President Bush’s budget.
Bread for the World’s interest and activism around the U.S. budget centers on its impact on hungry and poor people at home and abroad. We want to know, how much will be allotted programs that help reduce hunger and poverty? We also care about the overall fiscal responsibility of the budget. Will it help or hurt our economy? Will it promote economic opportunity for people at every income level, not just at the top? Will it support and protect the most vulnerable people and those who find themselves in distress?
On almost every count, the president’s budget misses the mark. It does not balance our nation’s need for security with our moral commitment to help the hardworking people who struggle daily to feed their families and build a better life. Moreover, tax proposals are aimed almost exclusively toward those whose annual incomes exceed $200,000. And it does not address the burgeoning deficit.
Domestic anti-hunger and poverty programs are being drastically cut. The Food Stamp Program, our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, faces a cut of $1.1 billion over 10 years. Low-income housing, Medicaid, child care and other low-income focused programs are also slated for large cuts. These proposals just do not make sense with hunger and poverty on the rise. More than 36 million people, including 13 million children, live in families who are unsure where their next meal is coming from.
Click here for their full statement.
A growing chorus of Christian leaders has issued statements critical of the president’s fiscal policies.