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Prayer Action and Civil Disobedience in Support of a Moral Budget The controversial budget cuts would affect millions of low-income families dependent on federal student loans, food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare-to-work programs, and other services for our nation's citizens. Sojourners and Call to Renewal organized a prayer action and civil disobedience protest at the Cannon House Office Building last Wednesday to oppose the budget cuts and tax breaks for the wealthy. In the sub-freezing weather, hundreds of religious leaders, including 4 Manna staff, and concerned churchgoers attended the protest and stood in solidarity with our nation's poor. While kneeling in prayer on the steps of the building, 115 of them were arrested by Capitol Police. Among them was Manna, Inc.'s founder and Chairman of the Board, Rev. Jim Dickerson.
According to Sojourners, in a speech on the House floor early Monday morning, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) cited this historic action as evidence of the growing movement among people of faith "drawing a moral line in the sand against this budget" to demand that our elected representatives use our national wealth for the good of all, not the enrichment of some. To read the press coverage of the event, follow any of these links: SUCCESS! House and Senate leaders have been working on a tentative agreement on the budget cuts. In this tentative agreement, many of the provisions calling for cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, federal students loans and pension insurance lean toward the Senate's more modest proposals. Food stamp program changes that would have cut off thousands of people were dropped, welfare restructuring that would have imposed more stricter work requirements was watered down, and a cut to federal child-support enforcement aid was scaled back. To read more see the Washington Post article: click here Members of the faith community have spoken out and our national leaders heard their cries. Thank you for your support in prayer and advocacy. Your calls to congressional leaders were powerful and we continue to ask that you would follow this process closely and keep your Senators and Representative accountable for their decisions. We will continue to keep you informed about ways that you can actively support our nation's low-income neighbors. Again, thank you for your efforts. |
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