Bishop Decries Welfare Cuts Fiscal Focus Won’t Change Roots Of Poverty, He Says

Spokane’s Bishop William Skylstad is emerging as a major voice in the Roman Catholic Church’s growing criticism of the congressional welfare reform bill.

Skylstad said Thursday he was disheartened to see both Republicans and Democrats clamoring to capture credit for the bill.

“For God’s sake, forget about who should get credit, that’s not really good motivation,” said Skylstad, the spiritual leader of Eastern Washington’s 85,000 Catholics. “We think it’s darn poor legislation anyway.”

Skylstad urged politicians to look at the big picture rather than the bottom line. “As our system becomes less and less just, we will foster more and more violence,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the nation’s Catholic bishops, Skylstad said he is appalled to see the government take money and food from the poor by abandoning its responsibilities in the guise of reform.

“Granted, there needs to be welfare reform,” he said from his Spokane office. “But we don’t do it on the backs of the poor.”

Skylstad was elected chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Social Development and World Peace Domestic Policy Committee last fall. The committee addresses issues of justice on behalf of the Catholic Church in this country. Its chairman becomes the spokesman on issues of national concern.

Skylstad said the bishops have tried to convince President Clinton and Congress to look at more than cutting the budget and winning votes in this election year.

Clinton has promised to sign the bill into legislation when it gets to his desk. The bill cuts off legal immigrants from most forms of welfare, including food stamps and disability. It would allow each state to determine who gets welfare.

The bill also places limits on how long a person or family can receive welfare and Medicaid, which provides the poor with medical care.

Eastern Washington congressmen took exception to Skylstad’s opinions.

“This bill takes care of children in a better fashion than the law we’ve had for 35 years,” said Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash.

Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., also disagreed with the bishops, saying the bill emphasizes personal responsibility for the poor.

“We will not only provide great benefits to society and taxpayers, but most importantly, to welfare recipients themselves,” he said. “Congress has no intention of turning its back on the most needy in society.”

Real welfare reform must address the root causes of poverty, Skylstad said. Rather than cutting benefits for poor children and legal immigrants, Congress should strive to find ways to create more jobs that pay livable wages and provide better education.

“We forget that poor children, very vulnerable children, have a right to the resources in our country,” he said. “I’m not sure we recognize that. We cannot abdicate ourselves of the responsibility of helping children.”

Nethercutt countered that resources are available. All people need to do is take advantage of them.

“There are charities galore out there to assist people in need,” he said. “The opportunities are there, if people will just seize them.”

Still, Skylstad said he and the rest of the bishops refuse to give up hope in the political process.

“The bishops have always said that we support a good political system. It’s important for the common good of society,” he said.

He vowed personally to try and raise awareness and social responsibility among the Catholic parishes in Eastern Washington.

“I’m firmly convinced of the basic goodness of people,” he said. “But we’ve got to stick with community. We’ve got to stick with country. And we have to have hope. That’s what keeps us going.”

Skylstad has been bishop of the Spokane Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church since 1989. He grew up on farms in Omak and the Yakima Valley. Since his ordination, he has frequently spoken out on peace and justice issues, including the plight of farm workers, the poor, children and disarmament.

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