Moral Principles and the Budget Debate

Ryan Messmore / May 23, 2011

In America, it’s not hard to find religious voices criticizing proposals to cut government spending. Especially if those proposals call for reforming welfare or entitlement programs, they’re attacked for “balancing the budget on the backs of the poor.” That’s why it’s refreshing to see two prominent public voices recently engage in a more thoughtful, civil, and charitable dialogue on the federal budget.

On April 29, House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R–WI) sent a letter to Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the Catholic bishops’ conference, expressing his understanding that the committee’s proposed 2012 budget “is not just about numbers but about the character and common good of the American people.” In particular, Ryan described how the budget known as “The Path to Prosperity” accounts for various concerns of the Catholic Church’s social teaching regarding the poor. (more…)