Congress approves substantial budget agreement

Last week, Congress passed a bipartisan spending bill supporting essential government programs!

On Friday, Congress passed a budget bill to fund government programs until September 2016, the end of this fiscal year. Throughout 2015, we asked you to lift your voice in support of programs that bring us closer to restoring and reconciling justice in our world. Our shared Lutheran values have helped bring light to critical issues on Capitol Hill, including those that address hunger, global poverty, caring for creation, and the protection of children. While the recently passed budget is complex and includes some policies that set us back, the greater positive steps forward are a result of your action along with thousands of other faithful voices.

Please read below for a recap of our key concerns in the budget agreement.

Forced Displacement from Central America: Congress allocated $750 million to Central America to address some of the issues causing children and families to flee. Although the bill recognizes that many who could potentially be repatriated may qualify for refugee status in the U.S and contains important restrictions, part of this money is assigned to expand border security in the region and facilitate the deportation of migrants. The majority of the funding supports a regional plan that was crafted without full transparency. However, your voice will be critical in ensuring that the U.S. supports the plan only in ways that help the vulnerable and honor those that we accompany in all three countries.

Care for Creation: The appropriations bill clears the path for a U.S. contribution to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The Obama Administration has indicated that investing in GCF is a priority, and such investment has bipartisan support in Congress and from U.S. faith, humanitarian, environmental, and national security groups. The precise amount of the first installment on the U.S. pledge to the GCF will be determined when the Administration provides full budget allocation details. Nevertheless, we believe that the bill will enable the Administration to take the first step in fulfilling its $3 billion pledge to GCF over time.

Childhood Hunger: Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR), a series of programs that help students from low-income families, is expected to be considered by Congress early next year. In the meantime, Congress has allocated a set amount of funding and policy changes for the program, in the event that it is later reauthorized. These changes include:

$6.350 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is expected to support the anticipated caseload. This falls short of the $6.623 billion in the President’s FY2016 proposed budget, which was the same amount appropriated last year.
$23 million for the summer EBT program, which is $11 million more than the House bill and $7 million more than the 2015 enacted level. Participation is not limited to certain communities as it was last year.

International Programs: We are grateful that overall funding for international programs was increased by $3.4 billion this year. Most of the increase will go to security assistance for countries such as Jordan and Ukraine, but food assistance, global health, refugee and migration resettlement, and nutrition programs will also receive a slight funding increase. These funds not only cover U.S. government programs, but also contributions to the United Nations, which administers a variety of critical relief, humanitarian, and development programs. Given the ongoing humanitarian and development needs we are currently witnessing all around the world, this funding increase is welcome news. Thanks to your advocacy engagement, many families will be able to get relief and find hope.

We thank you for your continued advocacy leadership and support. We look forward to continuing our work together in the new year!

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