Politico
By Nick Gas
September 2, 2015
A
group of 96 House Democrats wrote a letter to Pope Francis at the
Vatican ahead of his United States visit and appealed to him to speak
about the minimum wage, hunger
and climate change during his address to a joint session of Congress on
Sept. 24.
"We
thank you for the many ways you have reminded us all of the centrality
of the social teachings of the church and your clear emphasis on human
dignity, solidarity and
the rights of workers, and above all, the poor and vulnerable," they
wrote in a letter dated Aug. 12 and provided to POLITICO Wednesday by
the office of signatory Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).
"The
fact is that we find ourselves struggling with a broad range of
economic and social issues as a nation. These policies range from health
care, the widening gap between
the rich and poor, climate change, immigration, and increased racial
tensions, just to name a few," the letter continued.
Invoking
former President John F. Kennedy, the only Catholic to have held the
nation's highest office, the lawmakers wrote that they have the means to
eradicate hunger
from the United States, if not the will.
They
also made reference to the lack of traction in Congress on increasing
the federal minimum wage, invoking the pope's words that a "trickle
down" economy does not work
for all.
The
lawmakers indicated that they welcomed Francis' latest encyclical on
the environment, writing that the 2015 federal budget does not address
environmental concerns.
The latest encyclical, they wrote, "lays a path for all people to lead
the way in the future of the planet we call home."
"Your
Holiness, we look forward with great anticipation to your visit and
your words on all these issues," they concluded. "Thank you for
considering this letter in the
spirit of progress in which it was intended."
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