Every week at All Saints Church we put our faith into action — and this week we are joining our Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN) colleagues in the important work of asking Congress to support indigenous communities during COVID-19.
The Episcopal Church advocates for and supports comprehensive federal programs that build an economic foundation to keep all Americans from hunger, homelessness, medical bankruptcy, and other preventable tragedies. Today, we urge Congress to provide the following to support Indigenous communities and other populations experiencing difficulties at this time:
- Increase resources for people who are incarcerated or in detention, orphans and children in foster care, and people experiencing homelessness.
- Increase funding for the Indian Health Service (IHS) to be equal to that provided other Americans on a per person basis and funding for Tribal Epidemiology Centers.
- Fund infrastructure development on Tribal lands, including funding for water, electricity, and broadband access, so these communities may be more resilient to future crises.
- Temporarily increase the maximum SNAP food assistance benefit by 15% to protect families from hunger; this response had bipartisan support in 2009. SNAP is one of the most direct ways to meet individual needs and also one of the most effective ways to bolster local economies and businesses.
- Protect vulnerable borrowers with a 36% interest rate cap. In times of crisis, desperate families turn to payday or car title lenders who offer short-term loans, often designed to be unpayable and trap people in never-ending debt.
Click here to add your name to this important action.
