GeorgetownLettertoRep.PaulRyan

8/2/2019 GeorgetownLettertoRep.PaulRyan

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Dear Rep. Paul Ryan,Welcome to Georgetown University. We appreciate your willingness to talk about how Catholicsocial teaching can help inform effective policy in dealing with the urgent challenges facing ourcountry. As members of an academic community at a Catholic university, we see your visit on

April 26 for the Whittington Lecture as an opportunity to discuss Catholic social teaching and its

role in public policy.However, we would be remiss in our duty to you and our students if we did not challengeyour continuing misuse of Catholic teaching to defend a budget plan that decimates foodprograms for struggling families, radically weakens protections for the elderly and sick, andgives more tax breaks to the wealthiest few. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops haswisely noted in several letters to Congress a just framework for future budgets cannot relyon disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons. Catholic bishops recently wrotethat the House-passed budget resolution fails to meet these moral criteria.In short, your budget appears to reflect the values of your favorite philosopher, Ayn Rand, ratherthan the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Her call to selfishness and her antagonism toward religion are

antithetical to the Gospel values of compassion and love.Cuts to anti-hunger programs have devastating consequences. Last year, one in six Americanslived below the official poverty level and over 46 million Americans almost half of themchildren used food stamps for basic nutrition. We also know how cuts in Pell Grants will makeit difficult for low-income students to pursue their educations at colleges across the nation,including Georgetown. At a time when charities are strained to the breaking point and localgovernments have a hard time paying for essential services, the federal government must notwalk away from the most vulnerable.While you often appeal to Catholic teaching on subsidiarity as a rationale for guttinggovernment programs, you are profoundly misreading Church teaching. Subsidiarity is not a

free pass to dismantle government programs and abandon the poor to their own devices. Thisoften misused Catholic principle cuts both ways. It calls for solutions to be enacted as close tothe level of local communities as possible. But it also demands that higher levels of governmentprovide help -- subsidium-- when communities and local governments face problems beyondtheir means to address such as economic crises, high unemployment, endemic poverty andhunger. According to Pope Benedict XVI: "Subsidiarity must remain closely linked to theprinciple of solidarity and vice versa.

Along with this letter, we have included a copy of the Vatican's Compendium of the SocialDoctrine of the Church, commissioned by John Paul II, to help deepen your understanding ofCatholic social teaching.

Respectfully,Thomas J. Reese, S.J.Senior FellowWoodstock Theological CenterMaurice Jackson

Associate Professor of History and African American StudiesDepartment of History


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Angelyn Mitchell, PhDAssociate Professor of English and African American StudiesDepartment of EnglishDolores R. Leckey

Senior Research FellowWoodstock Theological CenterRaymond B. KempSenior FellowWoodstock Theological CenterThomas Michel, S.J., Ph.D.Senior FellowWoodstock Theological CenterRita M. Rodriguez, MBA, PhD

Senior FellowWoodstock Theological CenterHope LeGroDirector, Georgetown LanguagesGeorgetown University PressJackie BeilhartPublicistGeorgetown University PressJohn Langan, S.J.

Professor of Philosophy and Catholic Social ThoughtGeorgetown UniversityJohn F Haught, PhDSenior FellowWoodstock Theological CenterKaren Stohr, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Senior Research Scholar, Kennedy Institute of EthicsDepartment of PhilosophyIlia Delio, OSF

Senior FellowWoodstock Theological CenterJoseph Schad, MdivChaplain, Mission and Pastoral CareGeorgetown University HospitalJ. Leon Hooper, S.J.Director, Woodstock Library


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Woodstock Theological Center LibraryJoseph A. McCartin

Associate Professor of History; Director, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working PoorDepartment of History

E. Hazel Denton, PhDAdjunct ProfessorSchool of Nursing and Health StudiesJames Walsh, SJ, Phd

Associate ProfessorDepartment of TheologyScott Taylor

Associate ProfessorSchool of Foreign Service

Sarah C Stiles, PhD, JDProfessorDepartment of SociologyKatherine Marshall, MPAVisiting Assistant ProfessorBerkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World AffairsWilliam C. McFadden, S.J.

Associate Professor of TheologyGeorgetown University

Alan C. Mitchell, Ph.D.Associate Professor of New Testament and Christian OriginsGeorgetown UniversityRev. Dr. Joseph Palacios

Adjunct Professor of Latin American StudiesCenter for Latin American StudiesJulia A Lamm

Associate Professor of TheologyTheology Department

Peter C. Phan, Ph.D., D.D.Professor of Catholic Social ThoughtGeorgetown UniversityWilliam Rehg, SJ, PhD, MDiv, PhL, MAProfessor of PhilosophySaint Louis University (visiting, Georgetown University)Diana L. Hayes, JD, PhD, STD


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Professor Emerita of Systematic TheologyGeorgetown UniversityEdward Vacek, S.J.Visiting ScholarWoodstock Theological Center

Anthony Tambasco, PhDProfessor of Biblical Studies and Christian EthicsTheology DepartmentMark Lance, PhDProfessor of Philosophy, Professor of Justice and PeaceGeorgetown UniversityRobert J. Bies, PhD, MBAProfessor of ManagementMcDonough School of Management

Benjamin Bogin, PhD

Assistant ProfessorTheology DepartmentJohn W. O'Malley, S.J., PhDUniversity ProfessorTheology DepartmentLauve H. Steenhuisen, PhDVisiting Assistant ProfessorTheology Department

Linda FerneyhoughTheology Dept. AdministratorTheology DepartmentMarilyn McMorrowVisiting Assistant Professor International Relations and Political TheorySchool of Foreign ServiceMatthew Carnes, S.J., PhD

Assistant Professor of GovernmentGeorgetown University

Diana Owen, PhD

Associate ProfessorCCT/American StudiesFriederike Eigler (Ph.D.)Professor of GermanGeorgetown University College


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Ricardo L. Ortiz, PhDAssociate Professor of EnglishDepartment of EnglishDavid J. Collins, S.J., S.T.L., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of History

Georgetown UniversityPeter C. Pfeiffer, PhDProfessorGerman DepartmentJulie Finnegan StonerPublishing AssistantGeorgetown University PressMary Helen Dupree

Assistant Professor of German

Georgetown UniversityLan Ngo, S.J., M.A., MDiv.Graduate StudentDepartment of HistoryFrancis J. Ambrosio PhD

Associate Professor of PhilosohyPhilosophy DepartmentJoseph H. Neale, Ph.D.Paduano Distinguished Professor of Biology

Georgetown University CollegeElizabeth Velez

Academic Director, Community ScholarsProfessorial Lecturer, English Women's and Gender StudiesGeorgetown University College

Astrid WeigertAssistant Professor of GermanDepartment of GermanJohn Rakestraw, PhD

Instructor of TheologyCenter for New Designs in Learning & ScholarshipSusan F. Martin, PhDDonald G. Herzberg Associate Professor of International MigrationSchool of Foreign ServiceEli S. McCarthy PhD

Adjunct Professor of Justice and Peace Studies


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Center for Social JusticeVeronica Salles Reese

Associate ProfessorSpanish Department

Francisca Cho, PhDProfessor of Buddhist StudiesTheology DepartmentMarcia Chatelain

Assistant Professor of HistoryGeorgetown UniversityHeidi Byrnes, PhDGeorge M. Roth Distinguished Professor of GermanGerman Department

Steven R. Sabat, Ph.D.Professor of PsychologyCollege of Arts and SciencesMarianne Lyons

Assistant DeanSchool of Nursing & Health StudiesLadan Eshkevari, PhD, CRNA

Assistant ProfessorGeorgetown University

John Kraemer, JD, MPHAssistant Professor of Health Systems AdministrationSchool of Nursing & Health StudiesJose R Teruel, MD, MPHProfessor of International HealthSchool of Nursing and Health StudiesElizabeth H. Andretta, Ph.D.Visiting Associate ProfesssorGeorgetown University in Qatar

Jo Anne P Davis, PhDAssistant Professor, NursingSchool of Nursing & Health StudiesIrene Anne Jillson, PhD

Assistant ProfessorSchool of Nursing and Health StudiesJeanne A. Matthews, PhD, RN


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Chair and Assistant Professor, Department of NursingSchool of Nursing and Health StudiesJustin M. Owen, BSc(Eng)Director of Medical TechnologiesSchool of Nursing & Health Studies

Laura Anderko PhD RNScanlon Endowed Chair in Values Based Health CareSchool of Nursing & Health StudiesMichael A. Stoto, PhDProfessor of Health Systems Administration and Population HealthSchool of Nursing & Health Studies and Pubic Policy InstituteRonald Leow, Ph.D.Professor of Applied LinguisticsGeorgetown University

Rosemary Sokas, MD, MOHProfessor of Human ScienceSchool of Nursing and Health StudiesCarol Taylor, PhD, RNProfessor of NursingSchool of Nursing and Health StudiesRobert J. Barnet MD, MA

Adjunct Professor of MedicineSchool of Medicine

Leona M Fisher, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of EnglishDepartment of EnglishJane Fitz-Simons MS,RN

Adjunct Faculty NursingGeorgetown UniversityMary Jane Mastorovich, MS

Asst. Professor, Health Systems AdministrationGeorgetown University

Edilma Yearwood, PhD, RN

Associate Professor of NursingSchool of Nursing & Health StudiesWilfried Ver EeckeProfessor in PhilosophyDepartment of Philosophy


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Sylvia E. Mullins, M.A.R in TheologyGraduate StudentDepartment of HistoryTerry Pinkard, PhDUniversity Professor

Department of PhilosophyBryce Huebner, PhD

Assistant Professor of PhilosophyGeorgetown UniversityJudith Baigis, PhD, RN, FAANProfessor EmeritaSchool of Nursing & Health StudiesPatricia Mullahy Fugere

Adjunct Professor, JD Program

AB '81; JD '84; E.D., Washington Legal Clinic for the HomelessHenry Schwarz, PhDProfessor of EnglishGeorgetown UniversityJudith Lichtenberg, PhDProfessor of PhilosophyGeorgetown UniversityJoseph A. Chalmers, PhDRetired Dean

Georgetown UniversityE. J. Dionne, Jr., D.Phil.University ProfessorGeorgetown Public Policy InstituteMarlene Canlas, MA, MPH

Assistant DeanGeorgetown University

GeorgetownLettertoRep.PaulRyan

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