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++++++++++++++++++++ 25-May-2001 ++++++++++++++++++++++
S O J O M A I L S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
This week SojoMail brings you an urgent message in
support of the refundable child tax credit, which
could help many families and children in poverty. We
will return next week with our usual format.
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P o l i t i c a l l y C o n n e c t
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
URGENT ACTION ALERT
CALL NOW TO KEEP THE CHILD TAX CREDIT
THIS IS THE CRITICAL MOMENT:
A House/Senate conference committee is meeting today
to negotiate a final tax bill. News reports indicate
that the refundable child tax credit passed by the
Senate is a "flashpoint" that is at risk of being dropped.
The conference is expected to finish its deliberations
very quickly, perhaps as soon as later today (Thursday).
Yesterday, a delegation of religious leaders convened by
Call to Renewal met with staff members of the
Republican House and Senate leadership to urge that the
refundable child tax credit in the Senate tax bill be
retained in conference. The Senate version
provides a refundable credit of 15 percent of earnings
over $10,000, extending the benefit of a tax cut to
those families who are too poor to owe federal
income tax, although they pay other taxes.
(For more details, see below.)
Meetings were held with staff from the offices of Sens.
Trent Lott and Rick Santorum and Rep. J.C. Watts.
Santorum and Watts have been the key members of
Congress pressing the president's faith-based initiative.
Our message to them, as today's New York Times
reported Jim Wallis saying, was: "If this tax cut is passed
without help for the poor then it will be very difficult for us
to support them on faith-based issues."
Your calls are urgently needed to support the Senate
version of the Child Tax Credit.
Republican leaders have not been in favor of the
refundable child tax credit, and the White House
has not supported it. BUT if certain key senators
who have supported the refundable child tax credit
hold firm and say they will not vote for a final
tax cut bill that does not include it, we can prevail.
PLEASE MAKE THESE CALLS FOR CHILDREN NOW:
President George W. Bush (202-456-1414).
Leave a message that the refundable child tax
credit is of great importance to the faith community
as a concrete way to help low-income working
families, and ask that the president instruct the
conferees that he wants the Senate version of
the tax credit in the bill that reaches his desk.
If you live in these states, call these senators,
thank them for supporting the credit, and urge them
to tell the Senate leadership that they will vote against
a final tax cut bill that does not include the Senate
version of the Child Tax Credit. (Ask to speak to an
aide working on tax issues; leave a detailed message
if they're not in.)
Max Baucus (D-Montana)(202-224-2651)
Christopher ("Kit") Bond (R-Missouri) (202-224-5721)
John Breaux (D-Louisiana) (202-224-4623)
Conrad Burns (R-Montana) (202-224-2644)
Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island) (202-224-2921)
Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) (202-224-5054)
Susan Collins (R-Maine) (202-224-2523)
Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) (202-224-2315
Pete Domenici (R-Colorado) (202-224-6621
Peter Fitzgerald (R-Illinois) (202-224-2854)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) (202-224-5251)
James Jeffords (I-Vermont) (202-224-5141)
John McCain (R-Arizona) (202-224-2235)
Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) (202-224-4254)
Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) (202-224-3004)
Calls could also be made to:
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa),
Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
(202-224-3744)
Rep. Bill Thomas (R-California),
Chair of the House Committee
on Ways and Means (202-224-2915)
The Senate's refundable child tax credit would benefit
working families with incomes of more than $10,000. In
its final deliberations yesterday, the Senate passed by a
94-4 vote a resolution sponsored by Sen. Olympia
Snowe expressing support for the credit. In addition, 14
Republican senators signed a letter saying that the
provision was "an essential component" of the tax bill.
The Call to Renewal delegation told the leadership yesterday
that faith-based organizations being praised by the
president for their important role in overcoming poverty
strongly believe the refundable credit is a significant policy
measure that could help lift families and children out of
poverty.
Wallis said, "In his Notre Dame speech on Sunday,
President Bush correctly noted, 'When over 12
million children live below the poverty line, we are not a
post-poverty America.' And he went on to say,
'Government has an important role.' The refundable
child tax credit would be a significant benefit to
America's poorest families, helping to lift some of those
millions of children out of poverty. We urge the
president to support it."
The delegation convened by Call to Renewal included
representatives of the United States Catholic
Conference, the Christian Community Development
Association, the Congress of National Black Churches,
World Vision, Evangelicals for Social Action, and the
Mennonite Central Committee.
For further information, see:
* In today's New York Times: "Some of the religious
groups among the strongest supporters of the
president's [faith-based] initiative went to Capitol Hill this
week to tell Republican lawmakers that continued
support would be linked to tax breaks for the working
poor. They said the initiative was aimed at helping the
poor broadly, through policies like the refundable child
tax credit, which was not part of the $1.3 trillion tax bill
passed earlier by the House."
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/24/politics/24FAIT.html
* Column by Jim Wallis on BeliefNet:
Biblical Archaeology and Tax Cuts
What would the prophets say about Bush's economic
plans?
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/79/story_7930.html
* Press release from Sen. Olympia Snowe on her
resolution: "The United States Senate Wednesday gave
overwhelming bipartisan support to retaining the
refundable child tax credit sponsored by U.S. Sen.
Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine)."
http://www.senate.gov/~snowe/pr052301-1.htm
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SojoFest 2001: A Celebration of Hope
SOJOURNERS IS HAVING A PARTY!
And you're invited.
Join us this summer, July 26-29, near Chicago
to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sojourners
magazine. We've been working hard and we're ready
to celebrate. Don't miss this chance to reconnect
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learn more about the festivities and speakers,
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**********************SOJOURNERS FORUMS*****************************
Respond to articles from the new issue of Sojourners in
interactive online forums!
Currently Featuring:
*Faith-Based Brou-ha-ha:
When church meets state, can they cooperate without being co-opted?
Respond to an interview with John DiIulio, head of the new
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*Emerging Spiritualities
Are our faith communities dying - or simply changing shape?
Share your thoughts on the relevance of religious
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Go to:
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CALL TO RENEWAL SEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Call to Renewal, a faith-based movement to overcome
poverty, seeks an Executive Director. The successful
candidate must understand and be committed to the
strategic vision of Call to Renewal, have a fundamental
appreciation for and understanding of the relationship
between faith and politics, and be able to move with dignity
and competence in a variety of communities. The position
requires excellent managerial, communication, and development
skills, a commitment to follow through on relationships
and tasks, and an ability to build bridges among the
various traditions in the church (e.g., Catholic,
Mainline Protestant, pentecostal, evangelical, black
churches, and para-church ministries), as well as
with people working in the realm of media and politics.
A dynamic and energetic personality who is conducive to
working with a wide diversity of people is highly desirable.
The Executive Director will be based in Washington, D.C.
and will function as the chief operating officer of the
Call to Renewal movement, working closely with the board
of directors and reporting directly to the convener and
president, Jim Wallis.
Salary commensurate with experience. Send resume to:
Peter Borgdorff
borgdorp@crcna.org
Christian Reformed Church
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
fax (616) 224-5895
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