Response to Congressman Paul Ryan & All Who Say Faith Plays a Role in Budget Decisions

For Immediate Release:
April 10, 2012
Statement from the Faithful Budget Campaign in response to
Congressman Paul Ryan and others who have framed the ongoing budget/deficit debate as a faithful/moral issue

WASHINGTON – In an interview released Tuesday by the Christian Broadcasting Network, U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) told CBN’s David Brody that his Catholic faith played a large role in the drafting of his budget proposal that passed the House by a party line vote last month. Congressman Ryan is the latest member of Congress, including Democratic Reps. James Clyburn and Jan Schakowsky, to claim a faith-based/moral responsibility or lack thereof in supporting or opposing the budget.

As members of Congress from both parties are drawing a connection between the House-passed budget and faith, the Faithful Budget Campaign, a coalition comprising the nation’s largest and most prominent Jewish, Christian and Muslim denominations as well as other faith-based institutions are continuing its efforts to encourage the adoption of the “Faithful Budget,” a set of comprehensive and compassionate budget priorities that makes balanced investments into the country’s needs and priorities. The Faithful Budget
can be read in its entirety at,
http://faithfulbudget.org/files/2012/03/Priorities-for-a-Faithful-Budget.pdf
.

In response to the increase in religious comments surrounding the budget/deficit debate, the Faithful Budget campaign released the following statement: “As communities of faith we have long believed that the budget is a moral document and we judge each proposal not by the arbitrary fiscal support it provides, but rather by the
human impact it holds. A Faithful Budget protects the common good, values every individual and lifts the burden on the poor. In light of all the religious comments around the budget debate, we hope members of Congress will look at the Faithful Budget and make an honest effort to build a more just society and a healthier world.”

Additional details about the Faithful Budget Campaign can be found at www.faithfulbudget.org.

Christian, Jewish and Muslim institutions and other faith-based organizations united by shared beliefs to lift up the nation’s most vulnerable are mobilizing across the country to impact the national budget dialogue by demonstrating that America is a better nation when we follow our faiths’ imperatives to promote the general welfare of all individuals.
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Media Contact: Adam Muhlendorf, Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications
adam@rabinowitz-dorf.com; (202) 265-3000 (o); (202) 641-6216 (c)