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The U.S. Bishops' Statement Barack Obama's Blueprint for Change Obama and Catholic Social Teaching Life and Dignity of the Human Person Call to Family, Community and Participation Rights and Responsibilities Option for the Poor and Vulnerable Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers Solidarity Care for God's Creation The Catholic Vote (Including Endorsements) Flyers, etc. Obama's Statements on Faith Virtual Reading Room Miscellaneous Links EN ESPANOL

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable a principle of Catholic Social Teaching "A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46*) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first." --The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, explaining Catholic Social Teaching *When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (New American Bible translation; emphasis ours.) The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement in November 2007 called "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship." This is the document that will serve as this year's "official" guidance from the Church on how to be civically engaged as a faithful Catholic. The Bishops are obviously encouraging every faithful voting Catholic to read the full statement, and we hope you'll do that as well. We call attention to statements 50 and 51 below: 50. While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable, and most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic moral test for our society is how we treat the most vulnerable in our midst. In a society marred by deepening disparities between rich and poor, Scripture gives us the story of the Last Judgment (see Mt 25:31-46) and reminds us that we will be judged by our response to the "least among us." The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: "Those who are oppressed by poverty are the object of a preferential love on the part of the Church which, since her origin and in spite of the failings of many of her members, has not ceased to work for their relief, defense, and liberation through numerous works of charity which remain indispensable always and everywhere." (no. 2448) 51. Pope Benedict XVI has taught that "love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel" (Deus Caritas Est, no. 22). This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable includes all who are marginalized in our nation and beyond -- unborn children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims of injustice and oppression. Senator Obama will best lead the poor out of poverty. Senator Obama will lead the way in compassionate outreach to a hurting world. Senator Obama will implement policies that honor and respect older Americans. Senator Obama will reinvigorate a faltering social security and Medicare system and advocate a more progressive and simplified tax approach through IRS reform. Who will best lead the poor out of poverty? F R O M   T H E   B L U E P R I N T   F O R   C H A N G E POVERTY At a Glance Help More Americans Climb the Job Ladder Obama will help low-income Americans enter the workplace and move up the career ladder. Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Obama will increase benefits and expand the number of individuals eligible for EITC, one of the most successful antipoverty programs in history. Establish Promise Neighborhoods to Combat Chronic Urban Poverty Obama will create Promise Neighborhoods to provide comprehensive services in impoverished areas in 20 American cities. Support Economic Development in Low-Income Communities Obama will help local entrepreneurs revitalize inner cities. Increase Affordable Housing Obama will increase the supply of affordable housing across the U.S. THE PROBLEM Poverty Rising There are nearly 37 million poor Americans. Most Americans living in poverty work, but still cannot afford to make ends meet. Minimum Wage is Not Enough Even when a parent works full-time earning minimum wage and EITC and food stamps are factored into their income, families are still $1,550 below the federal poverty line because of the flat-lined minimum wage. POVERTY BARACK OBAMA's Plan Expand Access to Jobs Help Americans Grab a Hold of and Climb the Job Ladder Obama will invest $1 billion over five years in transitional jobs and career pathway programs that implement proven methods of helping low-income Americans succeed in the workforce. Create a Green Jobs Corps Obama will create a program to directly engage disadvantaged youth in energy efficiency opportunities to strengthen their communities, while also providing them with practical skills in this important high-growth career field. Improve Transportation Access to Jobs As president, Obama will work to ensure that low-income Americans have transportation to their jobs. Obama will double the federal Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program to ensure that additional federal public transportation dollars flow to the highest-need communities and that urban planning initiatives take this aspect of transportation policy into account. Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Supports Obama will work to ensure that ex-offenders have access to job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities. Obama will also create a prison-to-work incentive program and reduce barriers to employment. Make Work Pay for All Americans Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit: Obama will increase the number of working parents eligible for EITC benefits, increase the benefits available to parents who support their children through child support payments, increase benefits for families with three or more children, and reduce the EITC marriage penalty, which hurts low-income families. Create a Living Wage Obama will raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation to make sure that full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing. Provide Tax Relief Obama will provide all low and middle-income workers a $500 Making Work Pay tax credit to offset the payroll tax those workers pay in every paycheck. Obama will also eliminate taxes for seniors making under $50,000 per year. Strengthen Families Promote Responsible Fatherhood Obama will sign into law his Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act to remove some of the government penalties on married families, crack down on men avoiding child support payments, and ensure that payments go to families instead of state bureaucracies. Support Parents with Young Children Obama will expand the highly-successful Nurse-Family Partnership to all 570,000 low-income, first-time mothers each year. The Nurse-Family Partnership provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families. Expand Paid Sick Days Today, three out of four low-wage workers have no paid sick days. Obama supports guaranteeing workers seven paid sick days per year. Increase the Supply of Affordable Housing Create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund Obama will create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods. Fully Fund the Community Development Block Grant Obama will fully fund the Community Development Block Grant program and engage urban leaders across the country to increase resources to the highest-need Americans. Tackle Concentrated Poverty Establish 20 Promise Neighborhoods: Obama will create 20 Promise Neighborhoods in cities across the nation that have high levels of poverty and crime and low levels of student academic achievement. The Promise Neighborhoods will be modeled after the Harlem Children's Zone, which provides a full network of services, including early childhood education, youth violence prevention efforts and after-school activities, to an entire neighborhood from birth to college. Ensure Community-Based Investment Resources in Every Urban Community Obama will work with community and business leaders to identify and address the unique economic development barriers of every major metropolitan area. Obama will provide additional resources to the federal Community Development Financial Institution Fund, the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies, especially to their local branch offices, to address community needs. Invest in Rural Areas Obama will invest in rural small businesses and fight to expand high-speed Internet access. He will improve rural schools and attract more doctors to rural areas. OBAMA'S RECORD Tax Relief for Low-Income Working Families Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and successfully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years. Housing In the Illinois State Senate, Obama championed multiple pieces of legislation to help low-income families find adequate affordable housing. For More Information about Barack's Plan Read a Speech on Poverty (http://www.barackobama.com/2007/07/18/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_19.php) Read the Plan (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fightingpoverty/) "I was drawn to the power of the African American religious tradition to spur social change. Out of necessity, the black church had to minister to the whole person. Out of necessity, the black church rarely had the luxury of separating individual salvation from collective salvation .It had to serve as the center of the community's political, economic, and social as well as spiritual life; it understood in an intimate way the biblical call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and challenge powers and principalities. I was able to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary; rather, it was an active, palpable agent in the world." -- Barack Obama (Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 206-7, Oct. 1, 2006) "Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or the Pentagon. Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach our kids to learn. They know that parents have to parent, that children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. They know those things." -- Barack Obama (Source: Keynote speech to the Democratic National Convention, July 29, 2004) "If the language, the humor, the stories of ordinary people were the stuff out of which families, communities, economies would have to be built, then I couldn't separate that strength from the hurt and distortions that lingered around us. And it was the implications of that fact, I realized, that had most disturbed me. The stories that I had been hearing from the leadership, all the records of courage and sacrifice and overcoming of great odds, hadn't simply arisen from struggles with pestilence or drought, or mere poverty. They had arisen out of a very particular experience with hate. That hate hadn't gone away; it formed a counter-narrative buried deep within each person and at the center of which stood white people -- some cruel, some ignorant, sometimes a single face, sometimes just a faceless image of a system claiming power over our lives. I had to ask myself whether the bonds of community could be restored without collectively exorcising that ghostly figure that haunted black dreams." -- Barack Obama (Source: Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama, p. 179, Aug. 1, 1996) "It's time to turn the page for all those Americans who want nothing more than to have a job that can pay the bills and raise a family. Let's finally make the minimum wage a living wage. Let's tie it to the cost of living so we don't have to wait another 10 years to see it rise. Let's put the jobless back to work in transitional jobs that can give them a paycheck and a sense of pride. Let's help our workers advance with job training and lifelong education. Let's invest in infrastructure, broadband lines, and rural communities and in inner cities. Let's give jobs to ex-offenders--because we believe in giving a second chance to people. And let's finally allow our unions to do what they do best and lift up the middle class in this country once more. This world is not standing still. And we've got to take the values that have made America great but we have to adapt them to new times. And we know what those challenges are. Because of globalization, because of automation what we're seeing is increasingly a situation in which the benefits of this new economy accrued to just some and leave too many behind. Wages, salaries have flat lined and benefits are diminished. And the message that we've heard over the last six years is, You're on your own. The troubles, the difficulties, the burdens of globalization are going to be placed on the backs of workers. But there's always been another vision that says we're in it together and that the burdens and benefits of this new economy have to be spread evenly across the economy, and nowhere do we see that more than in the issue of health care." -- Barack Obama (Source: SEIU Democratic Health Care Forum in Las Vegas, Mar. 24, 2007) "We need after-school programs and summer-school programs because minority youth and poor youth are less likely to get the kind of environment and supplemental activities that they need. But let's be clear: We have good answers for how to make these schools work. What we don't have is a sense of urgency in the White House. I was raised by a single mom and my grandparents. I did not get money and privilege when I was young. But I did get a good education. And we've got to have that attitude for every single child in America. That also means--last point I'll make, because sometimes this doesn't get talked enough about. We have to have our parents take their jobs seriously, and particularly African-American fathers who all too often are absent from the home, have not encouraged the kind of, you know, nurturing of our children that they need. As somebody who grew up without a father, I know how important that is. The schools can't do it all by themselves. Parents have to parent." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2008 Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Jan. 15, 2008) "And I've said this all across the country when I talk to parents about education, government has to fulfill its obligations to fund education, but parents have to do their job too. We've got to turn off the TV set, we've got to put away the video game, and we have to tell our children that session not a passive activity, you have to be actively engaged in it. If we encourage that attitude and our community is enforcing it, I have no doubt we can compete with anybody in the world." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2007 Des Moines Register Democratic Debate, Dec. 13, 2007) "Well, I think it's doing very well for some. But it's not doing very well for all. So, No Child Left Behind has been false advertising. And there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency about improving the education system. It is a sense of urgency that we've got to restore if we're going to be able to remain competitive in this new global economy. So, a couple of steps that I think we have to take. Across the board we're going to have to recruit a generation of new teachers. We're going to have to pay our teachers more, we going to have to give them more professional development, and we're also going to have to work with them rather than against them to improve standards. We've got to improve early childhood education, because that's the area where we can probably most effectively achieve the achievement gap that exists right now." -- Barack Obama (Source: Huffington Post Mash-Up: 2007 Democratic on-line debate, Sep. 13, 2007) "Teachers are extraordinarily frustrated about how their performance is assessed. And not just their own performance, but the school's performance generally. So they're teaching to the tests all the time. What I have said is that we should be able to get buy-in from teachers in terms of how to measure progress. Every teacher I think wants to succeed. And if we give them a pathway to professional development, where we're creating master teachers, they are helping with apprenticeships for young new teachers, they are involved in a variety of other activities, that are really adding value to the schools, then we should be able to give them more money for it. But we should only do it if the teachers themselves have some buy-in in terms of how they're measured. They can't be judged simply on standardized tests that don't take into account whether children are prepared before they get to school or not." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate on "This Week," Aug. 19, 2007) View Video: Obama Outlines Education Plan View Video: Barack Obama - Education 1 View Video: Barack Obama - Education 2 View Video: Barack Obama speaks: New Orleans, Katrina, poverty View Video: Barack Obama on Economic Stimulus (CNN) Who will lead the way in compassionate outreach to a hurting world? View Video: Sen. Obama on a Legacy to the World's Poor View Video: Sen. Obama on Doubling Foreign Assistance Who will implement policies that honor and respect older Americans? F R O M   T H E   B L U E P R I N T   F O R   C H A N G E POVERTY At a Glance ELDERLY AT A GLANCE Commitment As someone who was largely raised by his grandparents, Obama has first-hand knowledge of how hard America's seniors have worked to defend our country, teach our children and grow our economy. He will honor their lifetime of work. Protect Social Security Obama will preserve Social Security by stopping any efforts to privatize it and working in a bipartisan way to preserve it for future generations. Secure Hard-Earned Pensions Obama will fight to ensure that companies don't dump their pension obligations. Help Americans Save More Obama will make retirement savings automatic. THE PROBLEM Insecure Retirement Savings Retirement savings are near a historic low and 75 million working Americans lack employer-based retirement plans. Too many companies have dumped their pension obligations, leaving workers in the cold. Income Security With skyrocketing health care, energy and housing costs, and the risk of being defrauded by insurance companies, too many seniors do not have the resources to live comfortably. BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN Protect Social Security Obama is committed to ensuring Social Security is solvent and viable for the American people, now and in the future. Obama will be honest with the American people about the long-term solvency of Social Security and the ways we can address the shortfall. Obama will protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries alike. And he does not believe it is necessary or fair to hardworking seniors to raise the retirement age. Obama is strongly opposed to privatizing Social Security. Obama believes that the first place to look for ways to strengthen Social Security is the payroll tax system. Currently, the Social Security payroll tax applies to only the first $97,500 a worker makes. Obama supports increasing the maximum amount of earnings covered by Social Security and he will work with Congress and the American people to choose a payroll tax reform package that will keep Social Security solvent for at least the next half century. Strengthen Retirement Savings Reform Corporate Bankruptcy Laws to Protect Workers and Retirees: Current bankruptcy laws protect banks before workers. Obama will protect pensions by putting promises to workers higher on the list of debts that companies cannot shed; ensuring that the bankruptcy courts do not demand more sacrifice from workers than executives; telling companies that they cannot issue executive bonuses while cutting worker pensions; increasing the amount of unpaid wages and benefits workers can claim in court; and limiting the circumstances under which retiree benefits can be reduced. Require Full Disclosure of Company Pension Investments Obama will ensure that all employees who have company pensions receive detailed annual disclosures about their pension fund's investments. This will provide retirees important resources to make their pension fund more secure. Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less Than $50,000 Obama will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This will provide an immediate tax cut averaging $1,400 to 7 million seniors and relieve millions from the burden of filing tax returns. Create Automatic Workplace Pensions Obama's retirement security plan will automatically enroll workers in a workplace pension plan. Under his plan, employers who do not currently offer a retirement plan, will be required to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit IRA account that is compatible to existing direct-deposit payroll systems. Employees may opt-out if they choose. Experts estimate that this program will increase the savings participation rate for low and middle-income workers from its current 15 percent level to around 80 percent. Expand Retirement Savings Incentives for Working Families Obama will ensure savings incentives are fair to all workers by creating a generous savings match for low and middle-income Americans. His plan will match 50 percent of the first $1,000 of savings for families that earn less than $75,000. The savings match will be automatically deposited into designated personal accounts. Over 80 percent of these savings incentives will go to new savers. Prevent Age Discrimination Obama will fight job discrimination for aging employees by strengthening the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and empowering the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to prevent all forms of discrimination. Who will reinvigorate a faltering social security and Medicare system and advocate a more progressive and simplified tax approach through IRS reform? "One of the reasons that I'm running for president is that the American dream has always meant that if you worked hard if you invested in your children then their lives could be better than yours. And that dream that so many generations fought for feels like it's slipping away, not just for African Americans increasingly but for all Americans. And so what do we need to do? We have to have a tax system that's fair. I will take away tax breaks from company's that are shipping jobs overseas and put tax breaks in the pockets of hardworking Americans who deserve it. We've got to invest in education. If we can invest and understand that this is a crisis that doesn't just effect black and brown people but all of America I'm confident that we can make a big difference." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2007 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum, Dec. 1, 2007) "Social Security is not in crisis; it is a fundamentally sound system, but it does have a problem, long-term. We've got 78 million baby boomers, who are going to be retiring over the next couple of decades. That means more retirees, fewer workers to support those retirees. We are going to have to do something about it. The best idea is to lift the cap on the payroll tax, potentially exempting middle-class folks, but making sure that the wealthy are paying more of their fair share, a little bit more." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University, Oct. 30, 2007) "My personal view is that lifting the cap is much preferable to the other options that are available. But what's critical is to recognize that there is a potential problem: young people who don't think Social Security is going to be there for them. We should be willing to do anything that will strengthen the system, to make sure that that we are being true to those who are already retired, as well as young people in the future. And we should reject things that will weaken the system, including privatization, which essentially is going to put people's retirement at the whim of the stock market." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate at Dartmouth College, Sep. 6, 2007) "Take the Administration's attempt to privatize Social Security. The Administration argues that the stock market can provide individuals a better return on investment, and in the aggregate they are right; historically, the stock market outperforms Social Security's cost of living adjustment. But individual investment decisions will always produce winners and losers. What would the Ownership Society do with the losers? That doesn't mean we shouldn't encourage individuals to pursue higher-risk, higher-return investment strategies. They should. It just means that they should do so with savings other than those put into Social Security." -- Barack Obama (Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 178-179, Oct. 1, 2006) "There has to be a restoration of balance in our tax code. We are going to offset some of the payroll taxes that families who are making less than $50,000 a year get a larger break. I want to make sure that seniors making less than $50,000, that they get some relief in terms of the taxes on their Social Security. Those kinds of progressive tax steps, while closing loopholes and rolling back the Bush tax cuts to the top 1 percent, simply restores some fairness and a sense that we're all in this together." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2007 Democratic debate at Drexel University, Oct. 30, 2007) "I have proposed specific tax relief now, immediately, so that we would offset some of the payroll tax, that we would immediately put some additional dollars in the pockets of American families, making $75,000 a year or less, to not only stimulate the economy, but also to balance out a tax code. I would pay for it specifically by closing tax loopholes & tax havens. What we've had is a top-down agenda that is skewed toward the wealthiest Americans. It is making worse some of the trends of globalization." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2008 Facebook/WMUR N.H. Democratic primary debate, Jan. 6, 2007) "We have to stop pretending that all cuts are equivalent or that all tax increases are the same. Ending corporate subsidies is one thing; reducing health-care benefits to poor children is something else. At a time when ordinary families are feeling hit from all sides, the impulse to keep their taxes as low as possible is honorable. What is less honorable is the willingness of the rich to ride this anti-tax sentiment for their own purposes. Nowhere has this confusion been more evident than in the debate surrounding the proposed repeal of the estate tax. As currently structured, a husband and wife can pass on $4 million without paying any estate tax. In 2009, this figure goes up to $7 million. The tax thus affects only the wealthiest one-third of 1% in 2009. Repealing the estate tax would cost $1 trillion, and it would be hard to find a tax cut that was less responsive to the needs of ordinary Americans or the long-term interests of the country." -- Barack Obama (Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 191-192, Oct. 1, 2006) "There's no doubt that the tax system has been skewed. And the Bush tax cuts -- people didn't need them, and they weren't even asking for them, and that's why they need to be less, so that we can pay for universal health care and other initiatives. But I think this goes to a broader question, and that is, are we willing to make the investments in genuine equal opportunity in this country? People aren't looking for charity. We talk about welfare and we talk about poverty, but what people really want is fairness. They want people paying their fair share of taxes. They want that money allocated fairly. One of the distressing things about Katrina was the fact that we have not made systematic investments. And the only way we're going to make it is by making sure that those of us who are fortunate enough to have the money actually make a contribution." -- Barack Obama (Source: 2007 Democratic Primary Debate at Howard University, June 28, 2007) View Video: Barack Obama: Social Security and Medicare View Video: Barack Obama: Real Leadership on Social Security View Video: Obama's Tax Fairness Speech Part 1 View Video: Obama's Tax Fairness Speech Part 2 View Video: Barack Obama's plan for Taxes View Video: Barack Obama - Las Vegas Debate - Being honest about taxes View Video: Barack Obama on Economic Stimulus (CNN) Contact us.    Register to vote. This website is not affiliated with the campaign of Barack Obama or with the Roman Catholic Church.