By Fifty-Five Catholic
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives
As Catholic Democrats
in Congress, we are proud to be part of the living Catholic tradition --
a tradition that promotes the common good, expresses a consistent moral framework for life and highlights the need to provide a collective
safety net to those individuals in society who are most in need. As
legislators, in the U.S. House of Representatives, we work every day to
advance respect for life and the dignity of every human being. We
believe that government has moral purpose.
We are committed to
making real the basic principles that are at the heart of Catholic
social teaching: helping the poor and disadvantaged, protecting the most
vulnerable among us, and ensuring that all Americans of every faith are
given meaningful opportunities to share in the blessings of this great
country. That commitment is fulfilled in different ways by legislators
but includes: reducing the rising rates of poverty; increasing access to
education for all; pressing for increased access to health care; and
taking seriously the decision to go to war. Each of these issues
challenges our obligations as Catholics to community and helping those
in need.
We envision a world
in which every child belongs to a loving family and agree with the
Catholic Church about the value of human life and the undesirability of
abortion
=s
healthcare and child care, as well as policies that encourage paternal
and maternal responsibility.
In all these issues,
we seek the Church=s guidance and assistance but believe also in the
primacy of conscience. In recognizing the Church's role in providing
moral leadership, we acknowledge and accept the tension that comes with
being in disagreement with the Church in some areas. Yet we believe we
can speak to the fundamental issues that unite us as Catholics and lend
our voices to changing the political debate -- a debate that often fails
to reflect and encompass the depth and complexity of these issues.
As legislators, we
are charged with preserving the Constitution, which guarantees religious
freedom for all Americans. In doing so, we guarantee our right to live
our own lives as Catholics, but also foster an America with a rich
diversity of faiths. We believe the separation of church and state
allows for our faith to inform our public duties.
As Catholic Democrats
who embrace the vocation and mission of the laity as expressed by Pope
John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici,
we believe that the Church is the "people of God," called to be a moral
force in the broadest sense. We believe the Church as a community is
called to be in the vanguard of creating a more just America and world.
And as such, we have a claim on the Church's bearing as it does on ours.
Rosa L. DeLauro David R. Obey
Wm.
Lacy Clay Hilda L. Solis
James R. Langevin Bart Stupak
Anna Eshoo Bill Pascrell
Betty McCollum Gene Taylor
Raul M. Grijalva Carolyn McCarthy
John B. Larson Ed Pastor
Joe
Baca William Delahunt
Tim
Ryan Silvestre Reyes
Mike Thompson Linda T. Sanchez
Charles A. Gonzalez Xavier Becerra
Diane Watson Michael H. Michaud
Nydia Velazquez Jim Marshall
Frank Pallone John T. Salazar
James P. McGovern George Miller
Tim
Holden James L. Oberstar
Dale E. Kildee Patrick J. Kennedy
Cynthia McKinney James P. Moran
Michael Capuano Richard E. Neal
Mike Doyle Peter A. DeFazio
Maurice Hinchey Dennis A. Cardoza
Joseph Crowley Jim Costa
Lucille Roybal-Allard Loretta Sanchez
Robert Brady Marty Meehan
Grace Napolitano Luis V. Gutierrez
Jose Serrano Stephen Lynch
Edward J. Markey Nancy Pelosi
Lane Evans
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