Keep opportunity for poor a priority

As the supercommittee faces this week’s deadline to eliminate a $1.5 trillion deficit over the next 10 years, we want to ensure that the programs that protect the sick and poor are spared. We urge Washington leaders to remember that government programs play a vital role in ensuring a safe and prosperous future for all, especially those living on the margins.

In an article last spring by the Catholic News Agency, Stephen Hilbert, foreign policy adviser for Africa and global development for the U.S. Bishops’ Conference, urged these cuts to be proportional. “In these tough times, we need to be responsible stewards of our federal funds,” he said, “but we cannot balance our budget on the backs of the poor.”

We agree. Rather than drastically cutting social safety net programs — including Medicaid, SNAP and unemployment insurance — we suggest cuts should be made in unnecessary military spending instead. Leaders should look at creating long-term solutions — to this long-term problem — that will enable future generations to thrive. Why not create a budget and tax code that enables government lawmakers to solve the many problems we face as a society, rather than making cuts that benefit the wealthiest individuals and corporations?

Ultimately, good government invests in people and protects its people. We are one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and creating opportunity for the poor should not be a question. It’s time for politicians to align themselves with our national interest in opportunity and prosperity for all.

Fr. Corey Brost

Br. Michael Gosch

Fr. Thomas von Behren

Clerics of St. Viator

Arlington Heights