The Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is urging Catholics to lobby on behalf of anti-poverty programs by contacting members of the congressional “super committee” charged with the task of reducing the federal deficit.

The Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the United States USCCB promotes telling "the Deficit ‘Super Committee’ and your members of Congress that rising poverty at home and abroad requires them to protect programs that serve poor and vulnerable people.”

The action alert continues:

The Census Bureau recently reported that the number of people living in poverty in this country increased to over 46 million. This is almost one in four children living in poverty and is the highest number of people in poverty ever recorded by the Bureau.

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (“Super Committee”) has begun meeting in an attempt to reduce the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next ten years. Programs that serve poor and vulnerable people at home and abroad are in danger of receiving devastating and disproportionate cuts.