Friday, May 26, 2023

SojoMail - The parable of the rich man and the debt ceiling

SojoMail

As lawmakers on Capitol Hill argue about the national debt, the Bible verse that’s been on my mind is Proverbs 3:27: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

When it comes to the debt ceiling, or the legal limit the U.S. is allowed to borrow to pay back our expenses, people aren’t really getting the truth. According to House Republicans, it’s only “fiscally responsible” to raise the debt ceiling alongside federal spending cuts to federal programs that benefit low-income Americans.

Of course, these legislators wouldn’t say they’re targeting poor folks; instead, they talk about the importance of adding increased “work requirements” to social safety net programs so that people get “back to work” (never mind that the U.S. already has the lowest unemployment rate in 53 years). In fact, both Republicans and some Democrats have long claimed that giving money to low-income Americans through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps millions of low-income households buy food, without requiring them to work discourages them from getting jobs and creates a burden for U.S. taxpayers.

But here’s the thing: That’s not true.

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