Lamenting injustice in the federal budget

With heavy hearts and deep concern, we, the Office of Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), bear witness to the harm set in motion by Thursday’s passage of a budget reconciliation bill in the U.S. House of Representatives under the cover of night. While some have labeled it “The Big Beautiful Bill,” within the faith community it is rightly dubbed: “The Big Bad, Deadly Bill.”

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Passed by a razor-thin margin of 215 to 214, this legislation threatens devastating cuts to federal programs that provide food assistance, health care access, and fund environmental protection, among others. These cuts target the most vulnerable — children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, immigrants, and low-wage workers — while offering expanded benefits to the wealthiest Americans. If enacted, the average low-income household will face an increased tax burden of nearly $1,000 annually, exacerbating inequality in a nation already fractured by economic disparity. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

As followers of Jesus Christ and advocates for economic justice, we cannot remain silent. Scripture calls us to a higher moral standard. From the cries of the prophets to the teachings of Jesus, we are commanded to feed the hungry, defend the poor, and proclaim justice for the oppressed. These mandates are not optional — they are central to our faith and our witness.

The prophet Amos issued this warning “hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate” (Amos 5:15). Isaiah condemns laws that rob the poor of their rights (Isaiah 10:1–2), and James reminds us that faith without action is dead (James 2:17). Jesus began his ministry proclaiming good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed (Luke 4:18), and he teaches that our care for “the least of these” is how we serve God (Matthew 25:40).

The bill passed by the House does not promote fiscal responsibility. Instead, it sacrifices the well-being of our neighbors on the altar of political expediency and economic inequity. Its economic impacts — delayed until after next year’s midterm elections — will reverberate for years, especially among those who rely on these essential services.

As Presbyterians, our social witness policy affirms that balancing the federal budget on the backs of the poor while preserving tax advantages for the wealthy is morally indefensible. Access to food, health care, and shelter is not a privilege for the few, but a fundamental human right.

We grieve for those whose lives will be irreparably harmed by this vote. We lament the deliberate choices that prioritize wealth over compassion, and power over justice. But even in lament, we do not lose hope.

The early church modeled a radical vision of equity and mutual care — "there was not a needy person among them … the proceeds were distributed to each as any had need" (Acts 4:34–35). We are called to live in that same spirit of generosity and solidarity today.

Our work is not done.

We urge you to take action:

• If your Representative opposed this legislation, call and thank them for their courage.
• If your Representative supported it, call and express your disapproval.
• If you Representative abstained from voting, call to inquire about that decision.
• Contact your senators today, and urge them to reject this harmful and unjust bill.

In this moral moment, we stand in lament, in hope and in faith.

Let us pray:

God of the cross and the margins,
when laws crush the poor and policies silence the vulnerable, awaken your church — to shout with the oppressed, to weep with the wounded, to rise with the crucified — whose  body bears every injustice — and to hope with the risen Christ, whose justice defies empire,
and whose mercy will not be legislated.
Amen.