Monday, April 11, 2011

Depending on whom you ask, the deal was a huge success, an empty compromise, or a big failure.


Dear Friend of CV, 

The news is everywhere. Late Friday a short-term budget deal was struck. 

What's in it? Are we happy? Did we win? 

Depending on whom you ask, the deal was a huge success, an empty compromise, or a big failure. Most of the commentary has been couched in political terms that ask whether Republicans, Democrats or President Obama 'won.' 

CatholicVote does not care a wit about which party won. What we care about is what Catholic voters want — a budget solution that will serve the common good -- beginning with the foundational principle of our moral (and civic) duty to protect innocent human life. 

So here are the basics of what was included in the deal: 

  • reinstatement of the ban on taxpayer funding of abortion in Washington D.C. (a big win!)

  • reinstatement of the hugely successful vouchers program in Washington D.C. allowing some children attending failing public schools to choose an alternative, including a private school 

  • nearly $39 billion in discretionary spending cuts (a modest start to a much needed overhaul of our morally irresponsible government spending binge) 

  • avoided a "shutdown" including the inevitable political games and posturing that would have further divided the country


Also included in the deal was an agreement to hold a formal Senate vote on BOTH the proposal to de-fund Obamacare and the proposal to de-fund Planned Parenthood. CatholicVote strongly supports defunding both. 

Leader Reid likely agreed to hold a vote on these issues because he is convinced that both will be voted down. While the votes remain uncertain, taxpayer support for Obamacare and Planned Parenthood could escape unscathed. Rest assured, we intend to make both of these votes extremely difficult for vulnerable Senators. 

ANY Senator who votes to continue taxpayer support for scandal-ridden Planned Parenthood will be a prime target of our election efforts in 2012. These votes will have consequences. If Senators want our support, they must earn it. And if they fail us, we will do everything possible to defeat them. 

So are we happy with the compromise? 

We can never be truly satisfied with any deal that includes continued taxpayer support for America's largest abortion provider. 

But we are thrilled that Republicans stood firm to ban taxpayer support of abortion in D.C. -- a provision President Obama originally suggested he would never compromise. And vouchers for D.C. schoolchildren, however modest, has also been a priority for us since last year. 

In terms of the overall budget, we are hopeful that the cuts agreed to on Friday will be the basis of a more comprehensive and substantial budget reform. $38.5 billion is a lot of money. But given our monstrous national deficit, we have a long, long way to go to secure real, morally responsible reform. 

And remember, we aren't done yet. Not even close. The deal struck on Friday will keep the government funded for just over 5 months. This fight was a warm up for what comes next. 

Congress and the White House will now begin debating a comprehensive budget solution for next year along with a critical debate over whether to raise the debt ceiling (increase our national credit card limit). 

While we didn't get the home run we wanted, we didn't strike out either. 

These fights will not be won or lost overnight. These are tough fights, but we must persevere.

That's why we are here. 

Sincerely, 

Brian Burch, President 
CatholicVote.org 


P.S. Let's not forget that this budget debate is not just about money or figures. It involves lives. And in the case of the D.C. abortion-funding ban -- an estimated 1,000 babies will be saved as a result. Praise God.