Families First act calls for support of low-income and vulnerable communities
by Rich Copley | Presbyterian News Service
The PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness has issued an Action Alert that urges Presbyterians to contact their senators to ask for support of the House of Representatives’ Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (Contributed photo)
LOUISVILLE — The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness on Capitol Hill is calling for the United States Senate to quickly pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
The bill, worked out between leaders in the House of Representatives and the White House, passed the House with bipartisan support early Saturday morning.
“We need legislation that will protect the most vulnerable populations as the coronavirus pandemic takes hold,” the Action Alert from the Office of Public Witness (OPW) says. “This bill includes many of the protections that the Office of Public Witness alongside other faith and advocacy organizations are calling upon Congress to prioritize in addressing the coronavirus pandemic.”
Those provisions include:
- Ensuring healthcare provider and employer support for people who are ill or have family members impacted, regardless of status.
- Focus assistance and economic stimulus efforts on low-income and vulnerable populations negatively impacted by the virus and preventative measures in response to it. It also calls on Congress to put these measures before corporate bailouts.
- “Oppose any efforts to use the pandemic as an excuse to further militarize the border or exacerbate immigration deportation and detention.”
The alert provides a way for people to quickly send their appeal to their senators.
The Office of Public Witness is one of the Compassion, Peace & Justice (CPJ) ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
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