Grace Over Greed: Our Faithful Advocacy Continues
We must urge our leaders to put people ahead of politics and pass legislation that supports communities and reflects God’s economy of abundance and grace.
The United States Congress is still – yes still – negotiating the budget for the current fiscal year which began last October. Congress now has until January 19, 2024, to avoid a partial government shutdown. Our collective work of advocating for Congress to prioritize full funding for social safety programming must continue. Even if you have contacted your Congressional delegation before, it is important for them to hear from you again.
As people of faith, we must call on our elected leaders to work together to prioritize the well-being of God’s people and God’s planet. Our United Methodist Social Principles affirm, “The church should continually exert a strong ethical influence upon the state, supporting policies and programs deemed to be just and opposing policies and programs that are unjust.” (Book of Resolutions #5012)
We must continue to stand in our faithful witness and urge Congress to resist policies that harm our communities and instead prioritize programs that support human flourishing. We must urge our leaders to put people ahead of politics and pass legislation that supports communities and reflects God’s economy of abundance and grace. Use the action alerts below to contact your elected representatives and remind them of their duty to care for the common good.
Environmental Justice
Action Alert: Tell Congress to Fund Climate Justice
Even as world leaders are gathering at the UN climate negotiations (COP28) in Dubai, UAE to increase collective efforts to address the climate crisis, the United States is falling woefully short of funding its fair share of funding to support countries and communities bearing the brunt of climate change. Congress must prioritize the health and security of God’s people and planet over the profits and greed of extractive and exploitative industries.
Economic Justice
Action Alert: Tell Congress to Expand the Child Tax Credit
Important Update! Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith just announced a bipartisan agreement to expand the Child Tax Credit. The CTC proposal will make meaningful progress toward the goal of ending child poverty. The proposal will provide full benefits to approximately 16 million children who are currently deprived of CTC resources solely because their families do not make enough money. We must call for urgent passage of the expanded CTC.
Civil and Human Rights
Action Alert: Protect Vulnerable Youth and Religious Workers
Throughout the United States, many migrant children are having to live in limbo due to the visa backlog. This has and is creating great harm for the security and protection of children, as well as for religious workers, who are protected under the same rules and subjected to the same backlog. Call on Congress to act to ensure that individuals who vital to our communities are protected.
Peace with Justice
Action Alert: Tell Congress to Call for a Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine
As the violence continues in Israel and Palestine, call on your Members of Congress to support ceasefire, de-escalation, and restraint by all involved. We pray for the innocent civilians, many of them children, who have been caught in the crossfire. As we pray, we must also remain steadfast in our witness for peace.
