Media Advisory: Faith Leaders and Community Groups to Hold Prayer Vigil at the Office of Congresswoman Judy Biggert on Wednesday
Posted Monday, Dec 12, 2005 @ 10:23 am by Call to Renewal - Illinois
Contact Information: Rick Guzman at (630) 508-1849
Organization's URL: http://www.calltorenewal.org/
Aurora/Willowbrook, Illinois – December 14, 2005 –Citing numerous programs & vulnerable populations that would be negatively impacted by the House version of the Federal budget bill, a cross-denominational group from several area churches located in Congresswoman Biggert’s & House Speaker Hastert’s districts organized a prayer vigil outside the office of U.S. 13th District Congresswoman Judy Biggert’s Office (6262 Kingery Hwy from 4:45 – 5:45 p.m.) to show their support for the Senate Budget Bill or any budget resolution that does NOT result in cutting funding for vital services for the nation’s poor.
Despite passing the Senate without the service cuts, the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in the House of Representatives called for significant cuts in basic services for the poor in order to offset the cost of extending tax cuts that will overwhelmingly benefit America’s most wealthy citizens. Unlike the Senate bill, the House bill would extend tax cuts set to expire over the next few years and would cut funding for food stamps; child support enforcement; Medicaid and other essential services for the poor, elderly and disabled.
“We’re not here to make a political statement, endorse or renounce any political candidates or officeholders. Nor are we here to debate the long-term benefits or ramifications of capital gains tax cuts,” said Rick Guzman, the event’s organizer. “We’re here to promote the idea that helping the poor should be a bipartisan issue & a non-partisan cause—If Congress wants to figure out a way to cut taxes without increasing the Federal deficit, that’s fine—but please don’t pay for the tax cuts by cutting essential services for the working poor.”
Vigil participants specifically planned the event to coincide with an event led by Call to Renewal, Sojourners and the Christian Community Development Association in Washington, D.C.—where Christian leaders from around the country are gathering in the Capitol Rotunda to peacefully organize, pray and stand firm for the moral conviction that it is not right to cut services for the poor while extending tax breaks for the very rich. The vigil also corresponds with dozens of similar events taking place at local congressional offices nationwide during the week in which Congress will be working out the difference between the House & Senate budget bills in conference committee. All of these prayer vigils are being organized by people of faith that are deeply troubled by the proposed cuts.
The assembled group from Kane, DuPage, Will & Kendall Counties was comprised of Christians from several area churches most of whom are engaged in working with the poor and others that would likely be impacted by the service cuts. The group also included low-income families, refugees resettled in the four-county region and social service providers.
Event organizers felt particularly compelled to join the nationwide action in light of the recent aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, that cast an uncomfortable spotlight on the devastating effects of poverty in America and the shocking number of people that are working, yet still living in poverty and barely getting by.
“Now is NOT the time to cut services for the poor,” Guzman asserted. “And so particularly in light of Katrina, we believe that this budget should be viewed as a moral document and as such, we should lend our voices to the growing chorus of Christians determined to stand united for fairness and social justice.”
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Facts/statistics
(http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.display_c&item=051006_BMD_facts)
SERVICE CUTS:TAX CUTS:
- Food Stamps would be denied to more than 220,000 low-income people each month by 2008, & would cut basic food aid by nearly $700 million over 5 years.
- Medicaid would be cut by nearly $10 billion—the Congressional Budget Office has said that these cuts would cause many beneficiaries to forgo health care services, and ultimately would result in increases in emergency room costs.
- $8 billion cut from foster care, child support enforcement, and aid to the disabled.
Costs of tax cuts:
- Capital gains & dividend tax cuts overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy— Over half of these benefits go to the 0.2 percent of households earning more than $1 million a year. The top three percent of households—those earning more than $200,000 a year—receive nearly 80 percent of these tax breaks.
- Those making more than $1 million would receive $32,000 in 2009 while those making less than $50,000 would receive an average tax cut of less than $11 in 2009 and those making less than $100,000 would receive an average tax cut of just $29.
- The cost of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for this year alone is $225 billion.
- Tax cuts for people with incomes over $200,000 cost $43 billion this year (http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/home/).
- Millionaires, who already receive $100,000 per year from past tax cuts, are slated for another $20,000 tax break starting Jan. 1, 2006.
PDF of media advisory