Prayer
During this Laudato Si’ Week, please see this prayer from Pope Francis.
Advocacy and Action
Last week I told you that the House of Representatives voted to pass the budget bill. This is what everyone is calling the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This is the bill that will cut Medicaid and SNAP and permit the sitting President to ignore judicial power by restricting courts from enforcing criminal contempt filings, among other concerning things.
I have attached a list of Republican Senators who are a possible ‘NO’ vote on this bill. These are the votes we need to save Medicaid and SNAP. Please call these senators. If you can’t get through, email them through their websites. This must be done ASAP. The vote could happen within the next two weeks. So, keep up the pressure. You can also write a letter to the editor. Senate aides do watch for those.
For further information on this bill:
Read this article from Charles Schwab or this one from NPR. It is likely that the Senate version of the bill would change some of these.
Watch this episode of Our Moral Moment in which Robert Reich interviews Bishop William Barber regarding the moral imperative around the bill & how we build a movement now that can reconstruct America.
Join NETWORK for a webinar on Tuesday, June 3, at 7:00 PM Eastern/4:00 PM Pacific for All on the Line: Saving SNAP, Medicaid, and Families. Click the link to register.
Education and Information
Recently Bellarmine Chapel Dismantling Racism Team hosted community activist and educator, Melanie Moon, for “DEI and CRT and Woke, Oh My!” If you’ve ever heard Melanie Moon speak, you know it was good. You can watch the recording here. Skip to the 5-minute mark as the presentation doesn’t start until then. The first five minutes is just a slide that says, “Streaming will start soon” Don’t be fooled! It is playing.
Democracy Watch
I was hoping to only need this section of the Weekly Update during the election cycle, but sadly I think it will be needed for a while. The uncertainty around the globe means our opposition must be often and loud. We can support candidates that believe in the system of checks and balances in our government. We can support independent journalism. We can be “a gnat in the ear of our politicians.” What have your daily calls been about this past week?
Resources:
NETWORK Executive Order tracker
USCCB Dept of Migration Immigration Actions document
This week's Save the Democracy Opportunity:
With the news about the “One Big Beautiful Bill” we may have lost focus on the SAVE Act. This is the bill that proposes sweeping changes to our voting system that will make it very difficult to register to vote for many Americans, including those experiencing poverty, elderly, disabled, anyone who has changed their name (i.e. many married women), and those in the military. Don’t lose site of the advocacy on this.
Useful Links: