January 10, 2013

In late December, MPAC boarded a yellow school bus along with NETWORK, Bend the Arc Jewish Action and a coalition of diverse national faith leaders for “Rabbis, Imams, Pastors, and Nuns on the Bus," a day of action to highlight top moral priorities of people of faith in the fiscal showdown. The leaders came together to urge Congress and the Obama administration to protect the most vulnerable in society, struggling Americans, when deciding on how to deal with the fiscal cliff.

The morning began with the interfaith coalition delivering opening remarks at “So Others Might Eat” (SOME), an organization that serves the homeless and underprivileged in Washington, DC. The leaders highlighted the struggles of those living at the economic margins and who stand to be harmed by immoral fiscal showdown negotiations. 

The next stop was the House Triangle in the U.S Capitol Complex, where they were joined by prominent clergy and people of faith met with Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL), Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) to urge fellow Congressional members to protect safety-net programs and demand that lawmakers not abandon struggling families this holiday season and instead make sure everyone pays their fair share.

"This day was important because it allowed for us to tell the stories of those who are struggling and would struggle more beacuse of the fiscal cliff," said Hoda Elshishtawy, MPAC's Legislative and Policy Analyst. "The interfaith coalition was an example to Congress on how to look past division and work toward a common and shared goal. Though many issues, such as VAWA, were completely ignored, this is a first step in hopefully a more complete recognition of how the budget crisis will affect our nation."  

Meeting with Congressional members with an interfaith coalition on the fiscal cliff was important for us to ensure that the most vulnerable in society were not forgotten. The fiscal cliff affects all Americans, and the diversity in this coalition showed just that."

Last March, MPAC, along with an interfaith coalition of Jewish, Muslim, Christians and other faith communities, released a “Faithful Budget” and submitted it to Congress. The Faithful Budget is an attempt to establish a just and moral budget for our nation without having to rely on cutting social programs that affect the most vulnerable in society. As such, the budget addresses eight main points that deal with defense, access to health care, reducing poverty, the environment and social safety nets.