Dear Mr. President,
Every choice our country makes is a statement of who we are and what we prioritize. At its heart a budget is a moral document. For people of faith, our priorities must always lie with the poor and most vulnerable. Extending the Bush tax cuts for the most fortunate while ending unemployment benefits and cutting back services for the poor does not reflect the values of faithful Americans. For that reason, we urge you to let tax cuts for the most fortunate expire as scheduled at the end of the year.
Almost 50 million Americans wonder where their next meal is coming from. One in 5 children live in poverty and many Americans are out of work. At the same time, there are more millionaires in our country today than at the peak of the market in 2007. In the last 30 years, the wealthiest 1% have seen their incomes increase almost 300% while regular Americans are worse off.
We have a responsibility to balance our budgets. We have an equal responsibility to make sure that burden is carried by those who can most afford it. Giving benefits to the rich while denying them to the poor is a sin. As citizens of this country and people of faith, we have an obligation to those in need. The book of Proverbs puts it quite simply: "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich--both come to poverty" (Prov 22:16 NIV).
We believe that our own good is tied up into the common good; that we will meet the challenges of today not just as individuals but together as a nation. We are grateful for the leadership of the Patriotic Millionaires who have stepped forward to ask that their tax cuts expire. We hope you will heed their counsel.
May God bless the leadership of you and the Congress, and may God bless America to be a blessing to the world.
Sincerely
Brian D. McLaren
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