Just Politics

What does it mean to belong to a church—and a country—that doesn't always welcome you? In this episode, Colin Martinez Longmore sits down with Yunuen Trujillo for an open conversation about identity, faith, fear, and belonging. Trujillo is an immigration attorney, LGBTQ+ Catholic advocate, and lay minister. As an immigrant and a queer person who is both a practicing immigration lawyer and faithful Catholic, she shares her perspective on the emotional toll our current political moment takes on communities and individuals and what it takes to create spaces of healing and justice when institutions are often part of the harm. Trujillo speaks to the fear that is often manufactured and weaponized by political leaders and the way that fear can infiltrate even faith communities, turning people against one another rather than toward solidarity. But she also shares her commitment to a hope rooted in community, resistance, and a belief that change is possible, even within institutions that feel resistant to it. This episode explores her involvement with LGBTQ+ Catholic ministry, including her work in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and her founding of @lgbtcatholics Instagram page, a grassroots effort to build inclusive Catholic communities. She also highlights the essential role of allies, especially parents and grandparents, in shifting the church from within. Whether you're navigating your own place within religious or political systems or simply seeking to be a better ally and community builder, this episode offers clarity, strength, and the reminder that hope is not naive—it's necessary. For more on supporting immigrant communities and LGBTQ+ Catholics: An immigration attorney on the Los Angeles protests https://uscatholic.org/articles/202506/immigration-attorney-los-angeles-protests/ Yes, pride is a sin. But it's also a virtue. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202408/yes-pride-is-a-sin-but-its-also-a-virtue/ All love enriches our church https://uscatholic.org/articles/202403/all-love-enriches-our-church/ Solidarity with immigrants: How Catholics can stand up https://uscatholic.org/articles/2023/solidarity-with-immigrants-how-catholics-can-stand-up/  LGBTQ+ Catholics: A Guide to Inclusive Ministry https://www.paulistpress.com/Products/5577-4/lgbtq-catholics.aspx  @lgbtcatholics on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lgbtcatholics/?hl=en   

What do you get when 800 billionaires hoard more wealth than half the U.S. population combined? A rigged tax system and a society that leaves millions behind. In this episode, longtime tax and budget expert Sarah Christopherson joins us to expose the political and moral cost of extreme wealth inequality. She explains how billionaires use loopholes, lobbying, and misleading populist messaging to avoid paying taxes and how those choices fuel poverty, hunger, housing shortages, and underfunded schools. We also explore why promises like “no tax on tips” often do more harm than good and how slick messaging masks a dangerous reality: Tax cuts for the rich are often paid for by service cuts for the rest of us. Alongside Sarah, we're joined by Jarrett Smith, Senior Tax Lobbyist at NETWORK, who adds key context on upcoming legislation, policy threats, and what advocates need to know right now. If you've ever wondered why billionaires pay less in taxes than you—or why it feels like everything is underfunded except for corporations—this conversation is for you. Learn more and take action at networklobby.org. Follow us @NETWORKLobby on social media and join the movement for tax justice. To learn more: Sarah Christopherson's website: https://www.scgchristopherson.com/  Tax Justice Calculator: https://networklobby.org/taxjusticecalculator/ Patriotic Millionaires: https://patrioticmillionaires.org/ Families over Billionaires: https://www.familiesoverbillionaires.org/   

During a time when ICE raids tear families apart, current administration policies criminalize asylum seekers, and cruelty has become policy, how do people of faith respond? This is the question we ask in this episode of Just Politics. Our guest is Sister of St. Joseph Janet Kinney, the executive director of the Long Island Immigration Clinic, whose ministry with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood has become a lifeline for immigrants and asylum seekers facing increasingly hostile conditions. From the rise of authoritarian immigration policies to the alarming normalization of deportations and detention centers, Kinney doesn't flinch. She shares how the Clinic stands firm, offering accompaniment and legal support even when the political tides are brutal. Kinney also reflects on the shifting landscape of immigration in the United States—from rising fear in immigrant communities to the moral failures of our current political leadership—and how her team provides legal support, safety planning, and community-building to those who need it most. What makes this conversation powerful isn't just Kinney's honesty about the stakes; it's her unshakable commitment to hope. We talk about where she finds it, how she sustains it, and why Catholic social teaching demands both prayer and action. This episode is a reminder that bravery is contagious and that even when the horrors persist, so do we.  

Tune in on June 3rd, 2025 for the return of your favorite Catholic social justice podcast: Just Politics, a project of NETWORK Lobby and U.S. Catholic magazine.

“Well, what a summer it's been!” says Joan Neal at the start of this week's episode. And August only just began!   The past few weeks have been a whirlwind in U.S. politics. A shooting targeting former president Trump left many injured and two people, including the shooter, dead. Coming off a debate performance that raised concerns about his age, President Biden withdrew his bid for reelection and quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman in U.S. history to be the presumptive nominee of a major party. And just this past week, Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate—with only 85 days left until the 2024 election.   To make sense of all this, Laura Peralta-Schulte joins Just Politics this week. Peralta-Schulte is the senior director of public policy and government relations at NETWORK.  “While the media likes to focus on the horse races ... what we're really talking about is who is going to represent us that will pass paid leave, make sure kids are not hungry, make sure that everybody has access to affordable healthcare,” Peralta-Schulte says. Sometimes, hearing from policy wonks can leave us feeling like things are actually worse than we thought. But Peralta-Schulte offers a hopeful read of this election season, pointing to the many people already engaging with energy, inspiration, and solidarity. “It's not Pentecost,” she says, “but it seems like it sometimes when you have folks going to their parishes and doing voter education and voter registration in places like Cleveland.”  Peralta-Schulte points to NETWORK's online resources and tools that anyone can use to get informed on the issues, find voter registration and polling place information, and take action. And she offers an invitation to NETWORK's Nuns on the Bus & Friends tour, hitting the road this fall.   Learn more about what's going on, what you can do, and why we remain hopeful and engaged on this week's episode of the Just Politics podcast.   NETWORK Advocates is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the principles of Catholic social justice and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party in the upcoming election. Additional Resources:   NETWORK's 2024 Election Resource Page  http://networkadvocates.org/be-a-voter  NETWORK's Equally Sacred Checklist  https://networkadvocates.org/equally-sacred-multi-issue-voter-checklist/  Nuns on the Bus & Friends “Vote Our Future” Tour  http://nunsonthebus.org/   

In 2023, after receiving a transformational gift from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice was finally able to begin working on an issue they'd been feeling called to for a long time: climate justice. That gift came to fruition a few months ago with the hiring of a full-time climate lobbyist: Drake Starling, a Cuban-American Miami native with a background in international environmental law. Having worked in a global context, Starling is clear on the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels. “If your bathtub is overflowing, you're not going to get a mop,” he says. “Transitioning away from fossil fuels is turning off the bathroom spigot.” Drake joins his colleagues on this episode of Just Politics to share more about his own story and Catholic social justice commitments, the biggest challenges and possibilities he sees in climate advocacy, and what gives him hope in the work to save the planet. For starters, he says, we should “try to start making everyone aware that climate change legislation equals good jobs.” NETWORK Advocates is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the principles of Catholic social justice and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party in the upcoming election. Learn more on this week's episode of Just Politics. Additional resources: NETWORK's Equally Sacred Issues: Freedom to Live on a Healthy Planet https://www.nunsonthebus.org/equally-sacred/freedom-to-live-on-a-healthy-planet/  Learn more about the Inflation Reduction Act's climate provisions https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act  Read about FSPA's gift to NETWORK for Climate Justice Work https://networklobby.org/news/fspa-climate-gift/  Learn more about “Cancer Alley” https://www.propublica.org/article/welcome-to-cancer-alley-where-toxic-air-is-about-to-get-worse   

When it comes to people organizing to stop gun violence, you probably first think of moms (see Moms Demand Action). But there is another growing unified voice against gun violence and the policies that enable it—that of Catholic nuns.   Last year, communities of Catholic sisters and their partners formed Nuns Against Gun Violence to educate about, pray for, and advocate for policies that free us from the threat of gun violence—and to accompany communities ravaged by it.   In this episode, two members of Nuns Against Gun Violence join us on Just Politics. Lisa Cathelyn is the justice and peace coordinator for the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and Sister of St. Joseph Annette McDermott is the justice, peace, and integrity of creation coordinator for her community and a member of the Nuns Against Gun Violence steering committee.  “There was a real concern that the issue of gun violence was escalating,” McDermott says. “And I'd have to say, honestly, there was a part where I don't think one of us could hear once again, ‘We're sending you our thoughts and prayers.' What could we do?”  Since its formation, Nuns Against Gun Violence has led educational webinars, candlelight vigils, billboard ads, legislative advocacy efforts, and more.   “We must care for communities to prevent harm, we must hold people accountable for their actions, and we must also work and have public policy that promotes the common good,” Cathelyn says.   Many people across the country feel like they hear of a new mass shooting each time they turn on the news. “Gun violence is a public health crisis. No one is unaffected by it,” Cathelyn says. But, she says, Nuns Against Gun Violence seeks to offer hope and action for a better reality. “We reject the toxic idols of violence, of weapons, and we announce something different,” she says.  Learn more about protecting our freedom to live in safe communities on this week's episode of the Just Politics podcast.  Note: NETWORK Advocates is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the principles of Catholic social justice and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party in the upcoming election. Additional resources:   Nuns Against Gun Violence  https://nunsagainstgunviolence.org/  Gun Violence Archive  https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/  NETWORK's Equally Sacred Resources – Freedom from Harm  https://www.nunsonthebus.org/equally-sacred/freedom-from-harm/  Moms Demand Action  https://momsdemandaction.org/   

The freedom to be healthy means being able to access the care and medications we need without worrying or sacrificing other parts of our lives. For people with diabetes, who need insulin to make it through the day alive, that freedom is a daily struggle. Though insulin costs just a few dollars to make, it has been sold for more than $300 per vial.   Kristen Whitney Daniels, who serves as the associate director of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, New York, is also a Type 1 diabetic and a leader with T1 International's federal working group, advocating for affordable and equitable access to insulin. She knows firsthand what it's like to have to ration insulin—and how just health care policies can transform people's everyday lives.   “The American public in general is facing these high costs that are forcing them to make decisions between food, going to college, getting a car, what jobs to work…” Daniels says. “I'm really passionate about making sure that people have the freedom to be healthy.”  Health care advocates like Daniels know that movements are sustained by celebrating successes like the Affordable Care Act, which NETWORK helped to pass, and the recent cap on insulin costs for seniors instituted by the Inflation Reduction Act, led by the Biden administration. But Daniels explains that successes aren't just winning on policy—they also include bringing new people to the table and spreading the message in new ways.  Listen to this week's episode to learn more about advocating for our freedom to be healthy.  Also: The nuns—and friends—are going back on the bus this year! Daniels will be joining NETWORK as a rider on the 2024 Nuns on the Bus & Friends Vote Our Future tour this fall. Learn more here at nunsonthebus.org.   Additional Resources:  The Inflation Reduction Act's insulin cost caps  https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2022/medicare-budget-proposal.html  Kristen Whitney Daniels  https://cssjfed.org/about-us/staff-and-leadership/  T1 International Federal Working Group  https://www.t1international.com/FWG/  Nuns On the Bus & Friends http://nunsonthebus.org/  

Just Politics will be taking a brief summer break this week. In the meantime, please be sure to catch up on all the episodes from the first half of season four: 1: Let us count the freedoms (with Katherine Stewart and Mary J. Novak) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202406/just-politics-let-us-count-the-freedoms/ 2: We can demand something better (with Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202406/just-politics-we-can-demand-something-better/  3: The harm of a false witness (with Jim Wallis) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202406/just-politics-the-harm-of-a-false-witness/ 4: Hey Y.A.L.L., let's save democracy (with Chelsea Puckett and Baylee Fingerhut) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202407/just-politics-hey-y-a-l-l-lets-save-democracy/ 5: Why harming the border harms us all (with Jesús de la Torre) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202407/just-politics-why-harming-the-border-harms-us-all/   

When people in the United States think about immigration, many immediately think about the U.S.-Mexico border, cruel border policies, and desperate families fleeing violence. But as Jesús de la Torre of Hope Border Institute shares in this episode, immigration is about so much more—including freedom, good food, global solidarity, and especially dreams. What if our immigration system wasn't just built around human rights and human dignity, but also human dreams?   “All of us, we have desires. We aspire to be. We want to study. We want to work. We want to learn. We want to discover,” de la Torre says. “We need to design a system that is focused on people's dreams and aspirations ... that then that will benefit everyone.” De la Torre draws on Catholic social teaching—and the words of Pope Francis—to help us understand that making our country more welcoming for immigrants makes the country more welcoming for everyone. “If we encounter people [at the border] with mercy and we allow each other to share that vulnerability, those fears, those hopes, I think will become much more humane and much more human,” he says.   Join us as we learn more about de la Torre's experiences at the border, his policy ideas, and how Catholics can help build vibrant, culturally-rich communities of welcome. NETWORK Advocates is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the principles of Catholic social justice and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party in the upcoming election.  Additional resources  UPDATE: After recording his interview with Just Politics, Jesús was named assistant director for global migration at Hope Border Institute: https://twitter.com/JesussdelaTorre/status/1808139940183552488  Hope Border Institute https://www.hopeborder.org/   An article by Jesús de la Torre https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/moment-renewal-churchs-accompaniment-migrants   From a recent issue of NETWORK's Connection magazine, on the DACA program: https://networklobby.org/connection-dreams-of-inclusion-061124/   The U.S. bishops' 2003 pastoral letter on immigration, “Strangers No Longer”: https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigration/strangers-no-longer-together-on-the-journey-of-hope   

College students today have grown up through a recession, a pandemic, and an unprecedented era of digitalization and political upheaval. They are also now part of the largest voting bloc in the country, composed of Millennial and Gen Z voters.   Young people have tremendous electoral power, but are often unequipped to engage in our democratic processes. In an era awash in information (and disinformation), how can young people channel their energy around justice into actionable change?   That's where NETWORK's new Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.) comes in.   This week on the Just Politics podcast, our hosts are joined by Chelsea Puckett, NETWORK's Grassroots Mobilization Outreach and Education Specialist. Chelsea is leading the inaugural year of Y.A.L.L., working to equip college students with the tools they need to be multi-issue voters, to energize and register their classmates to vote, and to speak about the issues they care about.    One of those students in the inaugural cohort, Baylee Fingerhut, joins us this week as well. A student at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Fingerhut became committed to advocating for a more equitable health care system after her father's cancer diagnosis and will vote in a presidential election for the first time this year. About young voters like herself, she says, “I think we're all we're sparked up, we're fired up... we finally want to use our voices and use our ability to vote to uphold the things that we see are important.”   Check out episode four of Just Politics to learn more about what college students are doing to build momentum for multi-issue voting ahead of the 2024 election (spoiler alert: it involves goats).   Additional resources:   Learn more about NETWORK's Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.): https://networkadvocates.org/yall/    NETWORK's statement on the first presidential debate: https://networklobby.org/news/62824-debate/  Tufts report on voting rates among Gen Z: https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/gen-z-voted-higher-rate-2022-previous-generations-their-first-midterm-election   

In 2024, white Christian nationalism continues to threaten our democracy and our freedoms—including our freedoms to vote, to practice our diverse religions, to live in safety, to protect and care for our families, and to live in a welcoming country.     There is no one more critical for the struggle against white Christian nationalism than Christians committed to democracy, justice, and human dignity—Christians such as Reverend Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, founding director of the Georgetown Center for Faith and Justice, and author of a new book: The False White Gospel (St. Martin's).    Join us this week on the Just Politics podcast as Wallis takes us through how white Christian nationalism is entirely un-Christian—and how the notion of neighbor, as Jesus taught in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, is not limited to a certain race, religion, or country of origin (neither white, nor Christian, nor nationalist!) Rather, the question of “Who is my neighbor?”  is best answered by looking at who among us is most marginalized, other-ed, and in need.     Luckily, everyone in this country—not only people of faith—has the power to spark conversations in their communities about our core values and how they can be distorted and weaponized by powerful interests who try (and fail) to use religion to divide us.     Additional Resources    More on Jim Wallis https://sojo.net/biography/jim-wallis     NETWORK's White Supremacy and American Christianity series https://networklobby.org/actions-to-take-to-after-watching-white-supremacy-in-christianity/     Sojourners, A Call to Civic Discipleship https://sojo.net/civicdiscipleship     The False White Gospel https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250291899/thefalsewhitegospel     

What if every family in the United States had enough resources to afford secure housing, eat nourishing food, pay medical bills and childcare expenses, and spend quality time with their loved ones without the constant worry of financial stress?   This is exactly what U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey wants to make a reality with the Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act. The concept of guaranteed income is a simple one: giving families income that they can use to meet their needs. Watson Coleman points to other universal basic income pilot programs that have worked across the country—and even how the federal government offered no-strings-attached supplemental income during the COVID-19 pandemic that lifted millions of individuals, families, and children out of poverty.    As Watson Coleman puts it in this week's episode of Just Politics, “I don't think that's too much to ask for in the richest country in the world.”   Being able to take care of ourselves and our loved ones is foundational to what it means to live in a democracy where everyone can participate and live dignified lives. Join us this week to hear more from Watson Coleman about realizing our freedom to care for ourselves and our families and the importance of electing officials who will ensure that we share our abundant resources justly—so that everyone has what they need to thrive, no exceptions.   Additional Resources:  Read Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in Connection magazine: https://networklobby.org/connection-rep-coleman-112823/   Learn more about the Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act: https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watson-coleman-leads-introduction-of-guaranteed-income-pilot-program   NETWORK's Equally Sacred Checklist: https://networkadvocates.org/equally-sacred-multi-issue-voter-checklist/    

Freedom doesn't simply mean freedom from things that restrict our lives. It also means the freedom to flourish and live with dignity. It means the freedom to care for ourselves and others, to participate in a vibrant democracy, to be healthy and safe from harm, and to live on a healthy planet and in a welcoming country.   Season four of the Just Politics podcast continues last season's focus on protecting and expanding democracy in the United States but dives into the particular context of the 2024 election—and the freedoms at stake.   For the season four kickoff episode, podcast hosts (and NETWORK staff members) Joan Neal, Colin Martinez Longmore, and Sister Eilis McCulloh, H.M. are joined by Katherine Stewart—an investigative journalist whose work focuses on religious nationalism and the separation of church and state, and the author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism (Bloomsbury). Stewart lays out for listeners some of the freedoms on the line in this election, the dangers of Christian nationalism and right-wing extremism, and some concrete ways in which we all can pitch in to save democracy this election year.   NETWORK Executive Director Mary Novak then joins our hosts to unpack Stewart's interview and explore how some coalitions of people of faith are working together to reject the rise of Christian nationalism and insist on the kind of faith-in-politics that actually serves the common good.   Join Just Politics this season as we explore how we can expand our freedoms and vote for a future where everyone thrives—no exceptions—in this election and beyond. As you listen, please be aware that NETWORK Advocates is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the principles of Catholic social justice and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or party in the upcoming election.   Additional Resources:   Katherine Stewart : https://katherinestewart.me/  Faiths United to Save Democracy: https://www.turnoutsunday.com/   Sojourners, A Call to Civic Discipleship : https://sojo.net/civicdiscipleship   NETWORK's Equally Sacred Checklist (in English and Spanish): https://networkadvocates.org/equally-sacred-multi-issue-voter-checklist/   Project 2025 https://time.com/6986995/what-is-project-2025/

Just Politics, the podcast collaboration between NETWORK and U.S. Catholic, returns June 10. This season we will explore the critical decisions facing the United States this year from the perspective of the six freedoms of NETWORK's Equally Sacred Checklist: the freedom to be healthy, freedom to care for oneself and one's family, freedom to live on a healthy planet, freedom from harm, freedom to participate in a vibrant democracy, and freedom to live in a welcoming country that values human rights. Join us as we speak with members of Congress, experts in Christian nationalism, and up-and-coming leaders in advocating for justice, equity, and a healthy planet. As 2024 unfolds, Just Politics will engage in these critical conversations with persistence, joy, and hope. NETWROK's Equally Sacred Checklist: https://networkadvocates.org/equally-sacred-multi-issue-voter-checklist/ 

In our Season 3 finale, Just Politics engages in conversation with one of the fiercest advocates for democracy in U.S. politics today: Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the assistant leader of the House Democratic Caucus. A lifelong champion for civil rights, Rep. Clyburn sees the connection between policies that improve people's daily lives and the strengthening of democracy. He is also a person of faith who recognizes the valuable role that faith plays in U.S. politics, helping connect people with the values that build a more just society for everyone. To listen to the rest of this season dedicated to democracy, check out previous episodes: What's a Catholic to do? (featuring Sister Anita Baird) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202311/just-politics-whats-a-catholic-to-do/  The perilous legal landscape (featuring Celina Stewart) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202310/just-politics-the-perilous-legal-landscape/  Actual strategies for saving democracy (featuring Rachel Kleinfeld) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202310/just-politics-actual-strategies-for-saving-democracy/  What just happened!? (featuring Ronnate Asirwatham) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202310/just-politics-what-just-happened/  How did we get here? (featuring Lisa Sharon Harper) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202310/just-politics-how-did-we-get-here/  It may be nationalism, but you can't call it Christian (featuring Amanda Tyler) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/just-politics-it-may-be-nationalism-but-you-cant-call-it-christian/  When it's your community (featuring Nichole Flores) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/just-politics-when-its-your-community/  What we mean by fragile (featuring Jarrett Smith) https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/just-politics-what-we-mean-by-fragile/  Just Politics is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. https://claretiansusa.org  https://myclaret.org 

On this season of the podcast, we've looked at Christian nationalism, voter suppression, threats of political violence, and other threats to democracy. In this episode, we ask: What's a Catholic to do? What role do people of faith and goodwill have in repairing these structural issues? And who's to blame for creating the conditions that got us here? Sister Anita Baird, D.H.M. offers insights on these questions. As a Black Catholic sister, she offers a distinct perspective on what it means to participate in a system that impacts people's lives and well-being. She also draws parallels between the struggle for the future of U.S. democracy and the unprecedented listening that is occurring in the Catholic Church via the synod process. More from Sister Anita: Watch her participate in a dialogue panel on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington hosted by Georgetown's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life: https://catholicsocialthought.georgetown.edu/events/the-sixtieth-anniversary-of-the-march-on-washington-for-jobs-and-freedom  Just Politics is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. https://claretiansusa.org https://myclaret.org   

Some threats to democracy, such as the insurrection on January 6, 2021, are lawless and loud. But others draw on the workings of the law to turn them against democracy itself. In this episode we talk to Celina Stewart, chief counsel and senior director of advocacy and litigation for the League of Women Voters, about those threats. They include gerrymandering, restrictive voting laws, and other measures enacted at the state level and through court decisions—most notoriously, the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. You can learn more about Celina Stewart and her work at the links below: More on Celina Stewart https://www.lwv.org/about-us/staff-leadership/celina-stewart More on the League of Women Voters https://www.lwv.org/ Background on Shelby County v. Holder https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/shelby-county-v-holder How do democracy issues relate to building up the common good? Check out this deep dive from Virginia Schilder at NETWORK. https://networklobby.org/build-anew-series-democracy-102923/ Just Politics is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.https://claretiansusa.org https://myclaret.org 

Just Politics will be taking a little break this week. We'd hoped to bring you an interview with a member of Congress, but as you may have heard, things are a little chaotic in Congress right now, and our interview was postponed due to the votes to elect a new House Speaker. As we've discussed this season, our democracy is in peril, and the past couple of months have been a clear illustration of that fact. This conversation is more important than ever. We will keep diving into it in the coming weeks to give you insight on where our democracy is and what you can do to preserve, protect, and expand it. We look forward to being back next week with a new episode of Just Politics.  

Democracy's decline at the global level can prompt feelings of helplessness and despair. But inaction is not an option for justice-seekers, and fortunately, there are ways to take action. Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow in Carnegie's Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, has studied the issue and recommends five strategies for supporting democracy. She also names tactics that, while necessary for supporting democracy, are insufficient alone. In dialogue with Just Politics cohost Joan Neal, Kleinfeld reflects on her recommendations, as well as the group that she sees playing a critical role in movements to save democracy in the long term: Catholics. You Can learn more about Rachel Kleinfeld and here work at the links below: More on Rachel Kleinfeld  https://carnegieendowment.org/experts/699 “Five Strategies to Support U.S. Democracy” by Rachel Kleinfeld  https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/09/15/five-strategies-to-support-u.s.-democracy-pub-87918 Freedom House report on the decline of democracy worldwide  https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2023/marking-50-years Just Politics is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries.https://claretiansusa.org https://myclaret.org 

It's been a chaotic week in Washington, D.C., with a narrowly averted government shutdown and the historic ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. We speak with NETWORK government relations director Ronnate Asirwatham, who explains why it doesn't have to be this way—that the drama surrounding a still-possible government shutdown involves a small group of extremist legislators determined to slash funding to vital human needs programs and introduce punitive immigration provisions into the federal budget, or else.  NETWORK and allies helped keep these provisions out of the short-term deal that keeps the government funded until November 17. But the harm of these measures, to say nothing of the harm that an actual government shutdown would cause to millions of people, remains a real possibility as the weeks ahead unfold. Through all of this rings the question: What does it say for the health of U.S. democracy when the very people we elect are so fixated on stopping the functions of the federal government? You can learn more about Ronnate Asirwatham and the averted shutdown in the links below: From the BBC: Why government shutdowns seem to only occur in the United States: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66965637 NETWORK's Ronnate Asirwatham was named one of the 500 most influential people in Washington by Washingtonian magazine two years in a row: https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/04/27/washington-dcs-500-most-influential-people-of-2023/#Immigration The October 2 rally for a moral budget organized by NETWORK in Louisville, Kentucky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3j6QvDZKRI The Washington Post story Ronnate mentions about a crisis in access to nutritious food among children: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/interactive/2023/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-kids/ Just Politics is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries: https://www.claretiansusa.org https://www.myclaret.org 

  It's easy to be overwhelmed by the sense of brokenness that pervades politics in the United States today. But the problems at the heart of all this precede the dysfunction of the past decade and the political alliances of the last 40 years: They go back to Jim Crow, slavery, and beyond. This week's guest, Lisa Sharon Harper, has traced her own personal history as a Black woman in white evangelical Christian spaces and back 10 generations of her family history to understand the brokenness of America today. She is the founder and president of Freedom Road, a columnist at Sojourners magazine and the author of several books, most recently Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World and How to Repair it All. For more about Lisa Sharon Harper visit https://freedomroad.us/who-we-are/lisa-sharon-harper/. Just Politics is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. https://myclaret.org 

Christian nationalism is a term that comes up with increased frequency in U.S. politics. It's a label that tries to sanitize something very ugly: the goal of a society in which only white Christians of a particular ideology enjoy the full privilege of being an American. To unmask this movement, we turn to an ally from another Christian tradition: Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Their Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign seeks to educate all people in the United States, but especially Christians, on why Christian nationalism is incompatible with living out the gospel in our society.  Amanda testified before Congress in 2022 about the ways in which Christian nationalism proves cover for white supremacy. Also, find out what people say to Sr. Eilis all the time! Learn more about Amanda Tyler and Christians Against Christian Nationalism in the links below: More about Amanda Tyler https://bjconline.org/amanda-tyler/ Christians Against Christian Nationalism https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/ The Baptist Joint Committe on Religious Liberty's full report on Christian nationalism and the Jan. 6 insurrection https://bjconline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Christian_Nationalism_and_the_Jan6_Insurrection-2-9-22.pdf To learn more about Christian nationalism, register for NETWORK's Oct. 21 event, White Supremacy and American Christianity: A Consistent Ethic of Hate Threatens Our Democracy https://www.mobilize.us/network/event/580503/ Just Politics is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. https://www.myclaret.org/ 

Book bans, political violence, and other hallmarks of Christian nationalism are not things many people imagine just showing up in their backyard. But that's exactly what happened to Dr. Nichole Flores in her community of Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Dr. Flores is an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia whose work focuses on justice, democracy, migration, family, gender, and economics. She is Catholic, Latina, and a wife and mother and, like so many residents of Charlottesville, she witnessed the unthinkable when white supremacists with tiki torches marched on her city and killed one young activist, Heather Heyer, in a car attack. You can learn more about Nichole Flores and Charlottesville in the links below: Nichole Flores' publications: https://uva.theopenscholar.com/nichole-flores NPR report on Charlottesville's removal of Confederate statues in 2021 https://www.npr.org/2021/07/10/1014926659/charlottesville-removes-robert-e-lee-statue-that-sparked-a-deadly-rally  

What does it mean to live in a fragile democracy? It can be difficult to imagine what that actually looks like. State voter suppression laws and candidates for elected office threatening political retribution against their opponents are two examples. But it isn't every day that we witness the fragility of our system of government up close. On August 2, NETWORK government relations advocate Jarrett Smith experienced how a single false alarm can shut down the function of an entire Congressional office building. His experience makes clear how the threat of political violence can stop the functions of democracy in their tracks. If people fear for their safety, they are less likely to participate. From January 6 to people with assault rifles standing near polling places of voters of color, Christian nationalism is a serious threat to democracy in the United States today. That's why this season of Just Politics will focus on democracy, the perils it faces, and what we can do to protect, promote and expand the system to build a pluralistic, inclusive society. You can read more about Jarrett Smith's experience, NETWORK, and the importance of democracy in the links below: Associated Press report on the August 2 incident on Captiol Hill https://apnews.com/article/congress-senate-lockdown-capitol-police-acf2c7c341e3445f190a59e0aaf52067 NETWORK's support for the Freedom to Vote Act https://networklobby.org/news/2023-freedom-vote-act/ More on why this season of Just Politics is centered on democracy https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/season-3-of-just-politics-podcast-digs-into-promise-of-democracy/ You can read the transcript for this episode at U.S. Catholic:https://uscatholic.org/articles/202309/just-politics-what-we-mean-by-fragile/

The Just Politics podcast, a collaboration between NETWORK and U.S. Catholic magazine, will return for a third season on September 11, 2023. This new season will focus on democracy—the threats it faces, specifically, white supremacy and Christian nationalism; its promise; and how people can work to preserve, protect, and expand it.     Launched in 2022, Just Politics is hosted by Colin Martinez Longmore, NETWORK communication and social media coordinator; Joan F. Neal, NETWORK deputy executive director and chief equity officer; and Sister of the Humility of Mary Eilis McCulloh, NETWORK grassroots education and organizing specialist.   “Democracy is one of the most important topics we can be talking about right now. I live in Ohio, and we just went through Issue 1, which was a ballot initiative that threatened to take away the idea of one person, one vote. It terrified me to know that some people really do not understand that democracy, the rule of our country, is hanging by a thread,” McColluh says.   “This is not just a hypothetical or theoretical conversation. The threat is real. Our democracy is at a crossroads. People have been and will be hurt because this is about power, who has it and who hasn't, who wields it and who doesn't, and whose will, rights, lives, and values rule the day and whose don't,” Neal says. “We are talking about democracy with Catholics right now because Catholics have been the swing vote in the last few national elections. To preserve, protect and expand our democracy, we can vote with an informed conscience—concerned not just with one issue but with a holistic understanding of the common good.”     Season 3 of Just Politics will also highlight the good work of pro-democracy advocates, the spiritual nourishment necessary to sustain this work, and the hope for democracy that our faith cultivates.     “How can our faith speak into this moment? I often hear messages coming from parishes and certain church leaders about a society that I don't see myself in, or that doesn't take my family and community into account,” Martinez Longmore says. “I want to find a space and other people talking about how our faith can speak into a multicultural and inclusive society. We have the opportunity to talk to people who see that vision and work for it, and to uplift that picture, so people know it does exist.”    Just Politics can be found on the U.S. Catholic website as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and several other platforms. Listeners can subscribe, sign up for email updates, and find additional reading at www.uscatholic.org/justpolitics and join the conversation about #JustPoliticsPod on social media.  ### NETWORK—advocates for justice inspired by Catholic Sisters—educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. With a 50-year record of accomplishment and more than 100,000 supporters across the country, NETWORK lobbies for federal programs and policies that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good. www.networklobby.org U.S. Catholic magazine puts faith in the context of everyday life, with a strong focus on social justice. Since 1935, U.S. Catholic has been a courageous, forward-thinking forum for discussion among a broad range of voices. U.S. Catholic is published by the Claretian Missionaries, a Roman Catholic congregation of priests and brothers dedicated to seeing the world through the eyes of the poor and to improving the world from these same communities. www.uscatholic.org

Are we on the path to a more just politics and equitable world? If we are, women are going to lead us there. It's the finale of Just Politics' second season, and we celebrate with our first crossover episode as the hosts of the Beyond the Habit podcast—Sisters of St. Joseph Erin McDonald and Colleen Gibson—join us for a wide-ranging discussion of the place of justice in the evolving role of women in the Catholic Church. We conclude our episode with a conversation with an exciting and emerging voice for justice who embodies women leading in politics: Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas. You can learn more about this episode's guests in the links below. Check out the Beyond the Habit podcast.  https://beyondthehabitpod.com/ Learn more about Rep. Veronica Escobar. https://escobar.house.gov/ Read Rep. Escobar's essay on the need for Catholics to participate in protecting democracy. https://networklobby.org/01062022democracy/ Read more about the ongoing synod process in the Catholic Church. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202209/can-you-hear-us-a-look-at-the-ongoing-synod/ Just Politics is sponsored by St. Jude League Community Development. https://stjudeleague.org/   

As Tax Day approaches, we look at the hazards of extreme wealth disparity. In his State of the Union address this year, President Biden called for the passage of the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax Act, saying that billionaires shouldn't pay less in taxes than teachers and firefighters. But that injustice is only one datapoint in a decades-long trend of ever-widening inequality between the wealthiest people and everyone else. In this episode, Sarah Christopherson, legislative and policy director for Americans for Tax Fairness, discusses the ill effects and ongoing risks to society posed by a small group of individuals having the raw purchasing power to buy elections, social media platforms, and even the Supreme Court. And Kate Ward, an assistant professor of Christian ethics at Marquette University, lays out why Catholic social teaching opposes stratospheric wealth inequality, citing a moral tradition that stretches all the way from the Hebrew Scriptures to Pope Francis. She also offers her view on the kind of just tax code the church's social teaching would support. You can learn more about tax justice, wealth disparity, and our guests in the links below. NETWORK's Tax Justice for All resource https://networklobby.org/taxjusticeforall/ Pew Research data on the growth of wealth disparity in the United States https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/01/09/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality/psdt_01-10-20_economic-inequality_1-4/ More on the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8558 More on Sarah Christopherson and Americans for Tax Fairness https://americansfortaxfairness.org/about/ More on Kate Ward https://www.marquette.edu/theology/directory/kate-ward.php Just Politics is sponsored by St. Jude League Community Development. https://stjudeleague.org/   

Holy Week is a time for pondering the deepest mysteries of the Christian faith, especially how in the betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the mission of the Son of God on earth was fulfilled. Confronting the ugly political realities in the United States today can spark the question for people of faith: Where is God in all of this? In this episode, Laura Peralta-Schulte, NETWORK's senior director of public policy and government relations, lays out the current threats posed by proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, and nutrition programs. She explains how balancing the federal budget should not involve cutting vital human needs programs that serve millions of people in the United States, especially in Black communities. And NETWORK executive director Mary J. Novak returns to the podcast for a Holy Week dialogue with Bishop John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv. of Lexington, Kentucky. The two delve into the depths of Holy Week and Catholic spirituality to unearth lessons—and even the hope—that this season can offer a divided political landscape today. You can learn more about this episode's guests in the links below. Learn about NETWORK's Thriving Communities campaign https://networklobby.org/thrivingcommunities More on Mary J. Novak, NETWORK executive director https://networklobby.org/marynovakbio/ More on Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv. https://cdlex.org/bishop-john-stowe-ofm-conv/ More on Laura Peralta-Schulte https://networklobby.org/staff/LauraPeraltaSchulte/  Just Politics is sponsored by St. Jude League Community Development. https://stjudeleague.org/   

The 13th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act—March 23—is a time to reflect on the significant legacy of Catholic sisters in helping people in the United States get access to quality, affordable health care. The Rev. Jen Butler, founder of Faith in Public Life, reflects on the legacy of Sister Catherine Pinkerton, C.S.J., who worked as a lobbyist at NETWORK for 24 years. Going back into the 1990s, Sister Catherine worked diligently to lay the groundwork for health care reform, which was finally realized when President Barack Obama signed this landmark law in 2010. But the work is far from done in the United States to ensure what Catholic social teaching calls for: a just, equitable, affordable health care system for everyone. NETWORK board chair Rachelle Reyes Wenger shares her perspective working as a health care system administrator on the issues that remain, especially disparities along racial and economic lines. You can learn more about our guests and health care in the United States in these links. A profile of Sister Catherine Pinkerton:  https://networklobby.org/catherine-pinkertons-sister-spirt-legacy/ More on the Rev. Jen Butler, founder of Faith in Public Life: https://www.faithinpubliclife.org/profiles/rev-jennifer-butler/ NETWORK's statement from the first anniversary of the Affordable Care Act: https://networklobby.org/news/20110322healthcare/ More on Rachelle Reyes Wenger, NETWORK board chair: https://networklobby.org/board_members/rachellereyeswenger/ Background on the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act: https://networklobby.org/04142021momnibus/ Just Politics is sponsored by St. Jude League Community Development. https://stjudeleague.org/ 

 March 13 is the 10th anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. In this episode we explore the threads of the pope's identity—the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope, the first pope named Francis—and unpack what they mean for his leadership of the Catholic Church.  In Just Politics' first interview with a Vatican official, Emilce Cuda, a lay woman theologian from the pope's home country of Argentina and co-secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, shares her perspective on the richness of integral ecology, the pope's teaching on the interconnectedness of all creation. This is most famously realized in Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical letter Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home), but he has also applied it to other areas such as politics and all human relationships.  In this episode, we also hear from School Sister of St. Francis Maureen Jerkowski, Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Mary Catherine Rice, and Brenna Davis, director of integral ecology at the Ignatian Solidarity Network, to unpack how this teaching challenges people in the United States today. The conversation draws on their respective work in justice for immigrants, climate justice, racial justice, economic justice, and the links between them. You can learn more about our guests, integral ecology, and Pope Francis in the links below. More background on Emilce Cuda https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/meet-emilce-cuda-pope-francis-catholic-social-teaching-expert-vatican Read how to get involved in the Laudato Si' Action Platform https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/ Learn more about the Ignatian Solidarity Network https://ignatiansolidarity.net/ Catholic Sisters Week is March 8-14 https://catholicsistersweek.org/  Pope Francis' encyclical on integral ecology, Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home) https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html Just Politics is sponsored by St. Jude League Community Development. https://stjudeleague.org/   

Do Presidents' Day and Ash Wednesday have any connection beyond their close proximity on the calendar this year?  It turns out that reflecting on the history of the United States through the lens of the legacies of 46 presidents can be a helpful tool in preparing for the penitential journey of Lent. Taking into account slavery, Jim Crow, Native American genocide, and other issues, this history raises the question of what individual people in the United States can do to reconcile these harms with a country they love and call home.  It's helpful to remember that Lent is a communal exercise, not merely an act of individual self-improvement. God calls on everyone to name the sins of the whole community, confront them, and ultimately make acts of reparation. In this episode, Sister EIlis speaks with Saint Joseph of Peace Sister Susan Francois about the importance of engaging in communal journeys of repentance. Sister Susan caused a stir back in 2018 when she began tweeting daily prayers at then-President Donald Trump. Joan and Colin dig deeper into Presidents' Day by asking Meghan Clark, associate professor of moral theology at St. John's University in New York City, about the troubled legacies of U.S. presidents. When the lens is Catholic social justice, even the most accomplished leaders cast dark shadows in places. You can learn more about our guests in the links below. Additional background on Sister Susan Francois tweeting at President Trump https://www.npr.org/2018/12/16/677252495/the-catholic-nun-who-tweets-a-daily-prayer-to-president-trump Information on the 1919 Bishops' Program for Social Reconstruction, the documents that would serve as a blueprint for the New Deal https://cuomeka.wrlc.org/exhibits/show/bishops/background/1919-bishops-reconstruction Other writings by Meghan Clark https://uscatholic.org/authors/meghan-j-clark/ Just Politics is sponsored by St. Jude League Community Development. https://stjudeleague.org   

What does it mean to respond seriously to great harm? What if that harm stretches over centuries, from slavery and the Jim Crow era down to the persistent racist injustices and iniquities of the present day?  Catholics and many other justice-seekers believe in reparatory justice as a way to move toward reconciliation and healing. Reparatory justice demands honest reckoning with past and ongoing harms and requires action to repair them. But this process involves painful exploration of the past as well as a lot of waiting. For instance, H.R.40, the bill that would create a commission to study the question of reparations for Black Americans, was introduced in 1989 and has not received a floor vote in Congress. Many people don't grasp the need for reparatory justice, often noting that slavery was abolished over 150 years ago and that the progress of the civil rights era righted the scales of justice.  This episode explores how the evil of racism compounds from generation to generation and how its impacts are fully on display in both public policy and the lives of Black and brown communities in the United States. Sister of Mercy Cora Marie Billings, a founder of the National Black Sisters' Conference, reflects on her own family's history with slavery and the Catholic Church. Deacon Sia Kamara Barbara of the United Church of Christ shares her experiences and how they led to her foundational role in the National Head Start program. And Jarrett Smith of NETWORK Government Relations describes the current prospects for getting federal action on reparations. You can learn more about reparatory justice, H.R. 40, and this episodes guests in the links below. Video reflection from Sister of Mercy Cora Marie Billings: https://networklobby.org/black-sisters-testify-the-real-work-of-belonging/ H.R. 40, which would establish a commission to study reparations for Black Americans, is introduced in the new Congress: https://networklobby.org/hr40-re-introduced-in-the-118th-congress/ Join NETWORK's Community Conversation for President Biden's State of the Union address on February 7: https://www.mobilize.us/network/event/548802/ A wider look at the great need for reparatory justice as a response to racism:https://networklobby.org/racism-reconciliation-and-repair/ More information on the racial wealth and income gap:https://networkadvocates.org/recommittoracialjustice/perpetuating/ Listen to the full-length interview with Deacon Sia Kamara: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/ESXhZyrHIxC03U_wL0clqLxGqwS5fKrCNiV911pcc-hW1tqXfgAHiuub_ruRrqDT2c0Iw4bY4xqGRurz.QCkN-Ug9dmjog95q

People of faith believe God is at work in the world around us. But this can be hard to see, given the state of politics in the United States, especially when religious leaders often seem fixated on all the wrong issues, and many faith communities appear reluctant to address political issues at all.  The Just Politics podcast is dedicated to asking the hard questions and taking on the most pressing issues, in light of the conviction that a more just society is a real possibility, not simply an idealistic dream. In the first season of the podcast, our hosts tackled such questions as: What does it mean to be truly pro-family? How do we effectively confront racism and white supremacy? How should Catholics respond to the rise of white Christian nationalism? And how can fidelity to gospel values and Catholic social teaching guide us as we strive to engage with these issues as good citizens? Now Just Politics is back for a second season, with the first episode dropping on February 6 and new episodes every two weeks until May 1. Engaged citizens seeking concrete solutions to our nation's problems, and Catholics wondering how best to put our faith into practice in civil society, can tune in to hear our hosts and guests discuss issues such as health care access, reparatory justice, economic equity, and the need for women's leadership.  A better kind of politics is possible. We just need to find the tools to make it a reality.  Just Politics is a collaboration between U.S. Catholic and NETWORK Lobby. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!

Advent challenges us to better prepare ourselves for the arrival of Jesus in our world. And this call to transformation resonates especially with the issue of immigration in the United States. Immigration reform has long eluded advocates seeking better policies for how the United States responds to the needs of more than 10 million people in the country without legal status, as well as the many people seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Rep. Norma Torres of California discusses H.R. 8433, a bill that would use a small update in current immigration law to create transformative change in the lives of many people. And Sister Tracey Horan, S.P. shares her experiences ministering to people through the Kino Border Initiative. You can learn more about immigration policy, the Kino Border Initiative, and this episode's guests in these links. Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8433 NETWORK's support for updating the immigration registry date https://networklobby.org/news/catholic-lobby-backs-updating-immigration-provisions-of-the-immigration-act/ Biography of Rep. Norma Torres https://torres.house.gov/about/full-biography Kino Border Initiative https://www.kinoborderinitiative.org/ Biography of Sister Tracey Horan, S.P. https://spsmw.org/sister-profile/tracey-horan/ NETWORK's advocacy against Title 42 https://networklobby.org/news/80-catholic-sisters-and-activists-hold-prayer-vigil-outside-white-house-calling-on-president-biden-to-rescind-title-42-and-end-mpp/ Just Politics is sponsored by Loyola Press. https://www.loyolapress.com/ 

For years, politicians in the United States have invoked the rhetoric of being “pro-family.” But what does that really mean? For justice-seekers, it means policies and policy proposals that would help families to flourish: the Child Tax Credit, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Medicaid expansion, and others. In this episode, we talk to a longtime champion of pro-family policy on Capitol Hill: Rep. Rosa DeLauro. DeLauro, who represents Connecticut's third congressional district, shares why these policies are so important to her and how her Catholic faith informs her advocacy. Being pro-family also means being pro-woman, and Sister Robbie Pentecost, O.S.F. shares about her encounters with women whose lives are touched and transformed by the New Opportunity School for Women in Berea, Kentucky. You can learn more about this episode's guests and pro-family policies in these links: The New Opportunity School for Women https://nosw.org/ South Dakota passes Medicaid expansion https://khn.org/news/article/south-dakota-vote-medicaid-expansion-implementation/ The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act https://networklobby.org/03182021pwfa/ Rep. Rosa DeLauro's book on how her Catholic faith informs her policy positions https://thenewpress.com/books/least-among-us Why Congress should pass the fully refundable Child Tax Credit https://networklobby.org/congress-must-pass-a-fully-refundable-child-tax-credit-before-the-new-year/ Just Politics is sponsored by Loyola Press. https://www.loyolapress.com/ 

Why do people in the United States struggle with the idea of calling something racist? Sister Emily, Sister Eilis, Joan, and Colin explore America's troubled relationship with confronting racism, not as a relic of an earlier era but as a present-day evil that is part of both religion and politics in the United States. Since November is Black Catholic History Month, they talk to Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Patricia Rogers, who shares her insight as a Black Catholic sister and a community leader in Milwaukee's Amani neighborhood. This episode also features an extended clip from NETWORK's recent White Supremacy and American Christianity event, in which Just Politics co-host Joan Neal moderated a conversation between Father Bryan Massingale of Fordham University and Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute. You can learn more at these links: The Dominican Center in Milwaukee works with Amani neighborhood residents and partners to build a better future. Sister Patricia Rogers served as its executive director for 10 years. https://www.dominican-center.org/  https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2021/06/08/milwaukees-sister-patricia-rogers-retires-nonprofit-amani/7543330002/ Listen to an extended interview with Sister Patricia Rogers. https://networklobby.org/black-sisters-testify-full-length-interview-with-sinsinawa-dominican-sr-patricia-rogers/ Watch the full recording of NETWORK's October 29 conversation on White Supremacy and American Christianity between Father Bryan Massingale and Robert P. Jones, moderated by Joan Neal. https://networklobby.org/actions-to-take-to-after-watching-white-supremacy-in-christianity/  Watch NETWORK's previous half-day conference on White Supremacy and American Christianity also featuring Father Bryan Massingale and Robert P. Jones held in April 2022. https://networklobby.org/uschristianityconvo/watch/  Just Politics is sponsored by Loyola Press. https://www.loyolapress.com/ 

Just Politics celebrates Halloween by confronting some of the scariest elements of our pre-election season: election deniers running for the statewide offices that will oversee future elections; threats of political violence; and the embrace of Christian nationalism by many people. Joan Neal discusses these threats with the Rev. Christian Watkins, who leads NETWORK's efforts to defend democracy through policymaking and advocacy. Sister Emily TeKolste peels back the scary resurgence of Christian nationalism by looking at the ugly history of white supremacist political violence in the United States. And on a happier note, we hear from you! Throughout NETWORK's Pope Francis Voter Tour, we heard from hundreds of people of faith and goodwill committed to protecting and building up our democracy. This episode includes a roundup of “Pope Francis Voter” testimonials. You can learn more at these links: Read more about the faith-filled push to save democracy this year. https://networklobby.org/faith-filled-push-save-democracy/  Here's FiveThirtyEight's breakdown of candidates seeking office this year who deny the result of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/republicans-trump-election-fraud/  The Brennan Center for Justice is tracking state voting laws. https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote/voting-reform/state-voting-laws  In addition to Sister Emily TeKolste's reflection in this episode, read what she wrote earlier this year about the need to die to white supremacy. https://networklobby.org/be-alive-in-christ-to-die-to-white-supremacy/  Read Joan Neal's reflection on the importance of voting and democracy. https://networklobby.org/the-theology-of-voting-our-vote-is-our-voice/  From U.S. Catholic: “Government for the people needs to be for everyone,” by Meghan J. Clark. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202210/government-for-the-people-needs-to-be-for-everyone/  From our last episode, revisit Sister Erin Zubal's pre-election prayer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GdW-1TdkvY  Just Politics is sponsored by Loyola Press. https://www.loyolapress.com/ 

As the 2022 midterm elections near, Sister Emily, Sister Eilis, Joan, and Colin discuss the importance of being a “Pope Francis Voter”—a multi-issue voter willing to do the work to build and protect an inclusive democracy where every person can flourish. Pope Francis calls concern for poverty, environmental destruction, and other issues “equally sacred” to the care for the unborn that is central to the political engagement of so many Catholics, especially in the United States. That's why NETWORK is currently traveling to cities across the United States on the Pope Francis Voter Tour, helping spread word that when people of faith limit their advocacy to only one or two issues, they enable the division, extremism, and obstructionism that do so much harm in our politics. In this episode, Joan dialogues with NETWORK's executive director, Mary J. Novak, about the breadth of the vision of Catholic social justice and how Catholic sisters have continually lived it in their ministry in the 60 years since the start of the Second Vatican Council. And Sister Eilis and Colin speak with Sister Pegge Boehm, P.B.V.M., Sister Teresa Wolf, O.S.B., and Cathy Brechtlesbauer, three organizers of the Love Your Neighbor Tour, an effort to get Medicaid expansion passed via a ballot initiative in South Dakota. The sisters on this tour made 25 stops in the span of five days, sharing with their fellow South Dakotans how expanding Medicaid will benefit so many people in their state. Ursuline Sister Erin Zubal, NETWORK's chief of staff, closes this episode with a pre-election prayer, speaking to the anxiety and uncertainty so many people feel in our politics today. You can learn more in the links below. Pope Francis Voter Tour https://networklobby.org/network-launches-pope-francis-voter-tour/ Equally Sacred Checklist https://networklobby.org/equallysacred   White Supremacy and American Christianityhttps://www.mobilize.us/network/event/522133/ South Dakota Constitutional Amendment D to expand Medicaid eligibility https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2022-ballot-questions.aspx  Just Politics is sponsored by Loyola Press https://www.loyolapress.com/ 

With the help of NETWORK's historian, Mara Rutten, we explore the 50-year history of U.S. Catholic sisters' involvement in political advocacy as part of their vocations. This includes the founding of NETWORK in the early 1970s and continues down to the present day. Sister Eilis, Sister Emily, and Colin also chat with two of NETWORK's past leaders: Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Nancy Sylvester and Sister of Social Service Simone Campbell. These women led the organization for a combined 27 years (1982–1992, 2004–2021). Sylvester describes the cultural currents and influence of NETWORK's early years, including the Second Vatican Council and the civil rights era. Campbell, who recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Biden, reflects on her time leading NETWORK, including her most famous contribution: the Nuns on the Bus. You can find more information about the history of NETWORK as well as some of the articles mentioned in this episode in these links: The history of NETWORK https://networklobby.org/about/history/  The timeline of NETWORK https://networklobby.org/network50/timeline  “Action of the Spirit” By Sister Mara Rutten, R.S.M. https://networklobby.org/action-of-the-spirit/  Octogesima Adveniens (A Call to Action) By Pope Paul VI https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-vi_apl_19710514_octogesima-adveniens.html  “Justice in the World” A document of the World Synod of Catholic Bishops, 1971 https://www.cctwincities.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Justicia-in-Mundo.pdf  “‘Nuns on the Bus' protesting Ryan budget” By Sarah Muller https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/nuns-bus-protesting-ryan-budget-flna828789  Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue https://iccdinstitute.org/  “President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom” https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/01/president-biden-announces-recipients-of-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom/  “Bread and Roses” Performed by SongRise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iOIR_aXX7U Closing theme music by SongRise https://songrisedc.org/  Just Politics is sponsored by Loyola Press https://www.loyolapress.com/ 

Sister of Providence Emily TeKolste and Sister of the Humility of Mary, Eilis McCulloh are both based in the Midwest and serve on the Grassroots Mobilization team at the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. In conversation with NETWORK deputy executive director and chief equity officer Joan F. Neal and grassroots outreach and education coordinator Colin Martinez Longmore, they delve into the question of how faith is a necessary force for good in politics. While there are plenty of examples of how faith and politics can be mixed badly—the democracy-imperiling rise of Christian nationalism chief among them—NETWORK embraces a vision of Catholic Social Justice for educating, organizing, and lobbying to promote the common good. In this episode, we also hear from Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, a Catholic and the longest-serving woman currently in Congress, on the value of voices of faith in the political process. NETWORK's grassroots mobilization director, Meg Olson, shares her own justice journey into faith-based advocacy. And Laura Peralta-Schulte, senior director of public policy and government relations, offers a survey of the many issues and pieces of legislation where justice-seekers can get involved. You can find further reading on how politics can serve the common good in the links below: “Catherine Pinkerton's Sister Spirit Legacy” By Julia Morris https://networklobby.org/catherine-pinkertons-sister-spirt-legacy/  “Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur Celebrates NETWORK Lobby's Legacy of Connecting the Common Good to Politics” By Marcy Kaptur https://networklobby.org/congresswoman-marcy-kaptur-celebrates-network-lobbys-legacy-of-connecting-the-common-good-to-politics/  “Pope calls faithful to pray, participate actively in politics” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/28058/pope-calls-faithful-to-pray-participate-actively-in-politics  “New Agreement Would Advance Healthcare, Tax Justice, and Climate Protections” By Laura Peralta-Schulte https://networklobby.org/new-agreement-would-advance-healthcare-tax-justice-and-climate-protections/  The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1065  Closing theme music by SongRise https://songrisedc.org/  Just Politics is sponsored by Loyola Press. https://www.loyolapress.com/ 

What does a better kind of politics look like and how can we make it a reality? In this podcast, Catholic sisters and their coworkers at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice answer this question with a variety of guests. From the border to the federal budget, the pews to the polls, join us to explore the intersection of Catholic teaching and politics. Just Politics is a collaboration between U.S. Catholic and NETWORK Lobby.  New episode every two weeks.