Our Work to Protect the Poor Must Go on After Reconciliation Bill Passage

Our Work to Protect the Poor Must Go on After Reconciliation Bill Passage

By John Berry, National President of SVdP USA 

In the Gospel reading on July 4, our nation’s independence day, Jesus called Matthew to join the disciples, prompting the Pharisees to ask why he ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responded, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”

This reading is fitting. After all, America was founded as a Christian nation. At our best, we are a nation of Matthews, sinners who hear the Word and follow Him. That is why it was so disappointing to me personally that on this very same day, a bill was signed into law that lacks mercy for the least of these.

The budget reconciliation bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” changes our nation’s SNAP and Medicaid programs, which will hurt men, women, and children by stripping away food and medical benefits that they rely on to survive. That is why the US Bishops and I, along with numerous other secular and faith-based organizations, urged Congress to protect Medicaid and SNAP. With freedom comes a responsibility to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and comfort the lonely.

So now, we must go forward. From the passage of this bill, it is estimated that millions of people will lose their Medicaid or food assistance benefits. Here are ways you can respond:

1. We can expect an increased need for assistance in our communities. We encourage you to discuss at the local level how you might be able to adapt and scale up your services and programs.
2. On July 17, SVdP USA’s national director of public policy and advocacy Ingrid Delgado will join a Voice for the Poor webinar to provide an update on current federal policy and how our new D.C. office staff is engaging on key issues, as well as how all of us can advocate effectively at the local level. You may register here.
3. As SVdP USA continues to advocate for our neighbors in need, you can sign up for Voter Voice to receive electronic action alerts so that you can contact your elected officials on key legislation.

We 85,000 American Vincentians are fortified by the strength and knowledge that we are doing God’s will. We do this through our food banks and homeless shelters. We do this through our charitable pharmacies and our programs to aid immigrants. Mostly, we do this through our one-on-one encounters with people, for it is in those encounters that we see the very face of God. We will not stop working for them, and we will not stop advocating for those who have nobody else. We cannot – we will not – fail them.