Archbishop Broglio urges US lawmakers to end government shutdown

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio has called on American lawmakers to end the federal government shutdown.

In a statement released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which he heads as president, the Archbishop warned that millions of people who depend on state assistance could face severe hardship if essential programmes remain unfunded.

The Archbishop said the bishops were “deeply alarmed” by the growing impact of the closure on services that protect the vulnerable. “As this government shutdown continues, the U.S. bishops are deeply alarmed that essential programmes that support the common good, such as SNAP, may be interrupted,” he said.

“This would be catastrophic for families and individuals who rely on SNAP to put food on the table and places the burdens of this shutdown most heavily on the poor and vulnerable of our nation, who are the least able to move forward. This consequence is unjust and unacceptable.”

Archbishop Broglio urged lawmakers and the administration “to work in a bipartisan way to ensure that these lifesaving programmes are funded, and to pass a government funding bill to end the government shutdown as quickly as possible.”

He stressed that the bishops have long advocated for public policies that protect the poor and that allowing basic nutrition and welfare support to lapse would strike at the heart of human dignity.

The federal government ceased operations on 1 October after Congress failed to pass a funding resolution, forcing tens of thousands of federal workers to be furloughed and disrupting a range of public services. Among those now at risk are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Programme for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and federal housing schemes.

The standoff principally centres on a dispute between House and Senate Republicans, who favour a clean continuing resolution, and Senate Democrats, who insist on the inclusion of extensions to health insurance subsidies and protections for Medicaid as part of any deal.

Meanwhile, public opinion polling reveals that Americans broadly view both parties and the President as responsible. A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that 67% of respondents held Republicans largely to blame, while 63% said the same of Democrats.

The blame game continues. Republicans assert that Democrats are making excessive policy demands, while Democrats say Republicans are refusing to negotiate in good faith.

Catholic charities and healthcare providers have also expressed alarm at the impact of the closure. Kerry Alys Robinson, president of Catholic Charities USA, said earlier this month that “the reverberations from this latest episode of crippling partisanship will be felt far beyond the halls of Washington.”

The bishops’ latest appeal recalls the long history of Catholic engagement in social welfare, echoing the principles set out in papal encyclicals from Rerum Novarum to Caritas in Veritate. In past shutdowns, the USCCB has repeatedly urged the federal government to shield the poor from political stalemate.

As the deadlock in Washington stretches into a fourth week, Archbishop Broglio’s words serve as a renewed plea for lawmakers to remember those most likely to suffer.

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