Dear Sisters, Associates and Sojourners,
The 114th Congress finished its work late last Friday night with the passage of a Continuing Resolution (CR) and Water Resources bill. The passage of the two bills means federal programs will continue to operate at their current levels, but the 115th Congress will have to pass the FY 17 budget before the Continuing Resolution expires on April 28th. In addition, the CR provided additional support for flood relief efforts and resources to help repair the lead-contaminated water system of Flint, Michigan ($170 million).
Also last week Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34). The Cures Act provides an additional $6.3 billion for NIH research, including $1.8 billion for the cancer "moonshot" and $1 billion for the opioid abuse response. The Cures Act also includes a number of provisions intended to improve the nation's mental health treatment system: creating a new assistant secretary for mental health and substance abuse; bolstering the Department of Health and Human Services' oversight of mental health programs; and reauthorizing and extending a number of existing HHS mental health programs and activities while creating a new grant program for community-based mental health care.
NETWORK sends their notices to be pro-active in contacting your Senators and Representative IMMEDIATELY asking them to vote against any repeal the ACA that does not include a replacement plan that provides the same coverage and protections of the ACA.
Here is a paragraph you can use in either phone calls to local offices in your State or in e-messages to your Congressional Leaders: CLICK HERE.
There are a few new articles about advocacy efforts that I found helpful. It gives us good energy to know so many social justice organizations are working together. I especially invite you to read the suggestions, that I expanded and adapted, from the Cincinnati Intercommunity Justice and Peace office. Also, there is a Las Posadas Rosary/meditation for your consideration.
There will not be a JPIC newsletter until 2017. (I probably will send out a few things, now and again, until the actually newsletter starts again.) So, I take this opportunity to thank you for the GIFT OF YOUR ADVOCACY and for your belief that we must believe in our dreams (like St Joseph), trust in our understanding that nothing is impossible for God,(Like the angel Gabriel said) and respond with a strong YES, as Mary did! In that, we will bring about GOOD NEWS, and radiate hopeful joy and be peace-makers!
A Blessed Christmas Season!
Sara Dwyer, ASC
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