"As advocates for social justice, we are being challenged mightily by this Congress," said Maureen Shea, director of the Office for Government Relations of the Episcopal Church. "This budget fails the test outlined by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold of compassion, concern for those at home and abroad, and serving the common good."

On March 8, Griswold joined leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society in issuing a statement questioning the priorities of President George W. Bush's 2006 Federal Budget. They asked Congress to remember "the Gospel story of Lazarus and the rich man and noted that the 2006 budget had much for the rich man but little for Lazarus."

On April 28, after Congress made some revisions in that budget, the same leaders concluded: "As we view the FY '06 Federal Budget through our lens of faith, this budget, on balance, continues to ask our nation's working poor to pay the cost of a prosperity in which they may never share. We believe this budget remains unjust." They called for rejection of the budget resolution. That resolution narrowly passed along party lines in the House of Representatives 214 to 211, and 52 to 47 in the Senate.

Shea noted that others in the faith community have been equally strong in raising concerns about the budget. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Members "to consider the moral dimensions of the decisions they make when setting the fiscal priorities for our nation," adding that "these decisions will have real human consequences, which can help or hurt people, strengthen or weaken family life, and advance or jeopardize the future of our nation." After final passage of the budget resolution, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism asked: "How can we continue to erode our social safety net, while providing tax cuts to those at the top of the income scale? To do so flies in the face of 2,000 years of religious teachings."

What happens now

With the budget resolution in place, appropriations committees in both the House and the Senate must report by September 15 so-called "reconciliation" legislation in which they must decide on specific cuts of $30.5 billion in entitlement and other mandatory programs over five years. Difficult decisions lie ahead, particularly as valued programs will be pitted against one another for funding. Because of special rules in the Senate, reconciliation bills can pass by majority vote, no filibusters can be used.

What we can expect

Domestic: $10 billion of these entitlement cuts will come from programs under the jurisdiction of the Senate Finance Committee, primarily Medicaid which serves low-income children and their families, people with disabilities and the elderly. The Agriculture Committees must report cuts of $3 billion. Although these cuts could come from farm and conservation programs, these programs are politically strong, and cuts are more apt to come from the Food Stamp Program.

International: While funding for foreign-assistance programs would increase by $7.5 billion over five years, defense spending would increase by $191.5 billion during that same period. The U.S. currently contributes less of its GNP to foreign assistance than any other developed nation in the world, just 0.15 percent. "A UN report on the world's progress toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 has concluded that rich nations must move toward 0.7 percent giving in foreign assistance. Without a major increase in U.S. foreign assistance, particularly in areas like HIV/AIDS and development accounts, some of the MDGs will never be met," said Alex Baumgarten, international policy analyst for the Episcopal Church. "This has grave implications not just for poverty and disease, but for the future stability and security of the world."

By authorizing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Congress is anticipating some $2.5 billion over five years for the government. This money is considered an "offset" to spending reductions. "The Episcopal Church will continue to support the Gwich'in Nation as they fight to protect the calving grounds of the Arctic—land sacred to the Gwich'in who are 90 percent Episcopalian," said John Johnson, domestic policy analyst in the Office of Government Relations. "We are confident that the bi-partisan group of Senators and Representatives who have promised to protect the Arctic will continue to stand firm in the reconciliation process."

Shea concluded: "We urge Episcopalians to communicate with their Members of Congress to discuss the budget, through meetings in their home states and districts, and through our grassroots Episcopal Public Policy Network. Bishop Suffragan Gayle Harris of Massachusetts, speaks of being 'urgent for justice.' We must be just that in the coming months in order to achieve any justice in next year's budget."