by Aspen Coriz-Romero

Photos by Aspen Coriz-Romero

March 5, 2025, on Christians’ Ash Wednesday, hundreds of leaders from various faiths gathered in Washington D.C. to condemn Republican proposed budget plans that would make devastating cuts to social programs and provide up to $346 billion in additional funding for the Pentagon and Trump’s ruthless mass deportation plans - and an astonishing $4.5 trillion in tax giveaways to the ultrawealthy.   

“Budgets are moral documents.” proclaimed Bishop William J. Barber II, leader of the coordinating organization Repairers of the Breach, “We put more, and more, and more money into the military-industrial complex - into the war economy. Dr. King told us years ago that any nation where all decisions are decided by how much money is going into the war economy is on a downward spiral.”  

Repairers released a report with research from the Institute for Policy Studies and the Economic Policy Institute exposing for the American people how dangerous the proposed spending decisions truly are. 

The Republican House agenda proposed at least 1.5 to 2 trillion in cuts to vital social spending - an alarming attack that would threaten Medicaid coverage for as many as 36 million people and slash food stamps for all 40 million recipients through 2034.

John Cavanagh, a senior advisor of the Institute for Policy Studies, spoke at the rally and highlighted some findings from the report. He criticized these proposed policies and identified them as political violence against the most vulnerable.  

“The Senate wants to add an additional 86 billion dollars in new spending each year for mass deportations and for the war machine - keep in mind that the war budget already accounts for over half of all discretionary spending,” he noted, “Do you know what we could do with that 86 billion?” 

Cavanagh continued, “that 86 billion could instead cover the costs of Head Start for 3.6 million children, health insurance for 4 million children, and public housing for 3.9 million families,” emphasizing that proposed increases for the Pentagon and mass deportations divert resources from essential social programs.   

Leaders also denounced the weaponization of their faith by president Trump and Republican leadership who openly use Christian nationalist ideologies to promote and justify their harmful and hateful political agenda.

“We affirm that for every religious tradition love of neighbor is at the core,” said Rev. Terri Hord Owens, general minister and president of the Disciples of Christ Christian Church, denouncing the dehumanization of immigrant communities by the administration. 

She continued, “the invasion of our sacred spaces cannot be endured - the freedom to worship is on the line,” referring to Trump’s executive order rescinding protections from ICE entering places of worship - as well as schools and hospitals. 

Rev. Stephen Tickner, senior minister at Central Christian Church, reminded everyone of the significance of the liturgical season of lent and connected our current moment to the biblical story of Jesus’ experience with temptation while spending 40 days in the wilderness. 

Tickner warned, “We want to show how great and powerful we are by funding a war machine rather than pouring resources into our children and the most vulnerable. God-like billionaires and multinational corporations receive trillions of dollars in tax cuts while slashing public services and jobs. As a person of faith I recognize this moment is our time in the wilderness. We are being tested with false pride, false glory and wealth, and false religion.” 

After the rally in front of the Supreme Court concluded, faith leaders delivered a joint letter and copies of the report to all four political leaders of the House and Senate demanding they stand against detrimental spending cuts to the US social safety net

The faith leaders invited others to join them in an upcoming day of reckoning from pulpits across the nation, vowing to continue the fight.

Aspen Coriz-Romero is the New Mexico Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies.