A Look at Federal Issues
by
Christopher Dodson
Executive Director
North Dakota Catholic Conference
June 2007
Now that the 2007 North Dakota
legislative session has finished, we can spend more time
addressing federal matters. Congress is working on several
very important pieces of legislation that warrant our
attention. Working with the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and related national
organizations, the North Dakota Catholic Conference will
monitor and provide input on these issues. Parishioners and
members of the conference's legislative action network will
undoubtedly find opportunities to share the Catholic
perspective with our Congressional delegation. Be sure to
check the “News and Updates” page at
ndcatholic.org for the latest information.
Farm Bill:
It is not an exaggeration to
that the Farm Bill will greatly impact North Dakota.
Religious organizations, including the National Catholic
Rural Life Conference, USCCB, and the North Dakota
Conference of Churches have already started sharing
principles to guide Congress. As we start the process, we
should keep in mind that how we produce our food, who
produces it, and how it is distributed are moral issues
which cannot be left solely to the forces of economics and
efficiency. We must also recognize that so long as the farm
system is beholden to unjust market practices, certain
non-preferable practices, such as targeted subsidies, may
be necessary.
Immigration:
The nation's immigration policy needs fixing.
Unfortunately, the advocates most often heard call for
practices that conflict with Christian principles, betray
our nation's history, and are unworkable. It is time to
move away from calls for an impenetrable wall, mass
deportation, and criminalization and embrace practical and
just solutions to the immigration crisis. The new program
should contain a workable legalization program that
emphasizes family unity and a fair and realistic path to
citizenship. A new worker program should provide
participants a meaningful opportunity to obtain permanent
residency.
State Children's Health
Insurance: Following
the disintegration of the Clinton health care reform
proposal, leaders in both parties looked to find something
that could be done to help the millions of uninsured
children of the working poor. Taking their cues from a
successful Pennsylvania program initiated by Governor (and
pro-life leader) Robert Casey, Congress created the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The program
helps states provide coverage to the children of families
who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but still cannot
afford health insurance. Although some states, including
North Dakota, initially had difficulties enrolling eligible
children, most states have now used their allotment of
federal dollars in the program.
Congress is
likely to renew the program, which expires this year.
However, the shape of the new program is uncertain. At a
minimum, SCHIP must be adequately funded. Moreover,
Congress should avoid placing new restrictions in the
program, such as mandating coverage for abortion and
contraceptives.
No Child Left
Behind: The Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (also known as “No Child
Left Behind”) is also up for renewal. For the most
part, the act applies to public schools, but North Dakota's
unusual state laws make it pertinent for the state's
Catholic schools as well. North Dakota is one of the few
states that require all nonpublic school teachers to meet
the same requirements as public school teachers. Similarly,
North Dakota is one of a very few states that requires
nonpublic schools to meet the same operating requirements
as the public schools. As Congress approaches renewing No
Child Left Behind, expect issues of funding and state
flexibility to come to the forefront.
Iraq:
The situation in Iraq would
be a major federal issue no matter what transpires, but
Congress' decision to only temporarily fund the war effort
guarantees that Congress will have to address the matter
through legislation later this year. Pope John Paul II,
then-Cardinal Ratzinger, and the U.S. Bishops all opposed
the start of the war and most moral theologians contend
that the invasion did not meet the criteria for a just war.
There is less agreement, however, as to what we should now.
Peace, however, is always the overriding principle. Let us
pray that, despite our differences of opinion about the
war, peace prevails – and that it comes soon.
