Religious Leaders to US Congress: “Reject Immoral Reconciliation Bill”
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 1, 2025
Contact: Rev. Amy Brooks Paradise, amy@greenfaith.org, 704-458-4438
Rev. Fletcher Harper, fletcher@greenfaith.org, 201-390-0094
Religious Leaders to US Congress: “Reject Immoral Reconciliation Bill”
Call on government to prioritize care for the poor and Earth, not fossil fuel subsidies and tax cuts for the wealthy
160 religious leaders from 29 states released a letter today calling on the US Congress to reject the reconciliation bill.
“This bill betrays our most deeply held values: compassion for the vulnerable, care for the earth, and justice for all,” they wrote. “As religious leaders, we stand in opposition to this attempt to enshrine greed, injustice and environmental destruction into law.”
The faith leaders hailed from Catholic, Evangelical, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Unitarian communities in every region of the country. Signers include bishops, denominational leaders and executives, clergy of congregations ranging from thousands of members to small local faith communities, professors at theological seminaries, religious activists and leaders of national religious NGOs.
“Budgets are moral documents,” the leaders wrote. “They reveal who we protect, and who we sacrifice. This bill rewards billionaires and giant fossil fuel corporations while stripping health care, food assistance, and essential support from millions of Americans. It deepens economic inequality and undermines the moral fabric of our democracy. This is wrong”
People of faith have been making calls to Senators and Congresspeople, urging them to reject the bill. This multi-faith letter and effort, coordinated by GreenFaith, follows its recent release of a report entitled “Subsidizing Ruin is Wrong - A Multi-Faith Call to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies.” The report outlines the billions of dollars in annual subsidies the fossil fuel industry has received for decades. It comes as the industry is pushing for a new $1.1 billion tax loophole that experts note would raise corporate profits, spur further oil and gas production, and increase energy costs for US households.
Signers of the letter from across the religious spectrum were scathing in their criticism of the proposed legislation. “Jesus would be appalled by a vote for this bill,” said Christian Ethicist Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. “The Bible is clear: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, who issue oppressive decrees to rob the poor of their rights.”
“The legislation “enshrines a glorification of greed and violence, threatening SNAP benefits, Medicare, immigrants, the environment, and children, while advancing the ultra-wealthy and the pursuit of war,” said Bishop Julia E. Whitworth of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. “It is morally repugnant.”
"The Quran commands: 'Be just, that is closer to righteousness' (5:8) and condemns those who 'hoard wealth and withhold from the needy' (104:1-3),” said Imam Saffet Catovic, Director of United Nations Operations for Justice For All. “Yet this legislation enriches the wealthy while stripping food from the hungry, denying healthcare, and destroying Allah’s good earth. Senators must reject this immoral bill.”
“Every single human being is created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and must be treated with respect,” said Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Founder and CEO of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action “This means people must have sufficient food, good care for their bodies, and clean air and water. This big ugly bill will rob people of these very basic human rights and needs. It is a desecration.”
“We urge our leaders to do their dharma, to see every budget line as a reflection of our shared values,” said Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights. “The government must craft a future rooted in justice, dignity, and the sacredness of our planet.”
“I signed this letter as a grandfather to four young children,” said Bishop Doug Fisher of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. “What will the climate crisis be like for them when they get to my age if we allow this 'reconciliation bill’ to go forward?”
This multi-religious effort is being carried out in partnership with Families Over Big Oil, a national coalition which is posting billboards in Washington DC and five states represented by Senators with swing votes related to the reconciliation bill - Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Utah. This initiative notes that the $1.1 billion tax break sought by the oil and gas industry could instead fund food assistance for over 3 million families for a full year. On Tuesday, religious leaders and people of faith will gather in Charlotte, NC for a prayer vigil at the office of Sen. Thom Tillis and to deliver the letter.
After the reconciliation bill vote, GreenFaith will partner with religious leaders, people of diverse faiths across the country, and climate and clean energy organizations to continue opposing fossil fuel subsidies and to promote renewable energy through the Sun Day mobilization, taking place the weekend of September 19–21.
“This initiative demonstrates the powerful and widespread support for clean energy and climate justice within faith communities,” said the Rev. Amy Brooks Paradise, GreenFaith USA Coordinator. “Our faith traditions are united: fossil fuel subsidies must end and renewable energy must continue to rise—swiftly and equitably. We refuse to stay silent while the powerful profit at the expense of the poor and the planet.”
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Further documents
Multi-Faith Religious Leaders Letter Listing All Signers
Families Over Big Oil Fact Sheet on Fossil Fuel Giveaways in the Reconciliation Bill