FAITH LEADERS RESPOND TO TRUMP'S NEW BUDGET PROPOSAL
In a plea to Congress, a broad coalition of faith leaders, spanning from Catholic bishops to Jewish Rabbis to Muslim Imams, have signed a letter urging them to oppose the GOP tax bill that the coalition says fails a moral test.
Why Have All These Faith Leaders United?
In a letter to senators, leaders voiced deep concern over provisions of HR 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is a harmful budget reconciliation bill that enacts radical cuts to vital social programs, while giving massive tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy and corporations.
Additionally, the bill seeks to allocate tens of billions of dollars to mass deportation and ICE raid campaigns, which have torn apart families. A vast majority of these families are hard working people and made a living in America without any criminal history. They are simply people within the community that came because America provided them with hope.
However, instead of providing the means to support such families, the many faith leaders of the letter agree that the bill will cut the very tools parents rely on to build strong families. The bill will cut programs such as Child Tax Credit, Medicaid, and SNAP, which will have the result of “driving them deeper into poverty.”
The letter cites a study done by the Congressional Budget Office which states how the bill will have the effect of diverting wealth from the bottom 10 percent to the top 10 percent.
Faith Leaders Concerned How HR1 Will Impact Families
Harder for parents to raise children: Cutting social programs like SNAP makes it harder for parents to raise their children by stripping away essential support systems that families rely on to meet basic needs. SNAP helps working families put food on the table, and its removal forces parents into impossible choices between feeding their children and covering other necessities like housing or healthcare.
Immigrant Families at Risk: H.R. 1 harms law-abiding immigrants by prioritizing harsh immigration enforcement over common-sense reforms that support stable families. The bill advances policies that “split up law-abiding families who’ve put down roots in our communities.” Faith leaders warn that it fails to distinguish between undocumented individuals with deep community ties and those who pose actual security risks. Rather than creating a path toward integration and stability, the legislation threatens to tear apart immigrant families who have lived, worked, and contributed to American society.
Undermines Economic Opportunity: By slashing financial support systems, the bill “punishes work, responsibility, and families,” making it harder for low and moderate-income households to gain a foothold in the economy. Rather than rewarding effort and encouraging self-sufficiency, the legislation weakens the structures such as medical coverage and food assistance that help families rise out of poverty and build a better future.