Moral budget battle became the rallying cry on Tuesday as Democratic senators and religious leaders held a vigil outside the U.S. Capitol. The event opposed the Republican-led budget bill, now dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Clergy members wearing religious robes, collars, and vestments stood alongside lawmakers. They prayed, sang hymns, and read Scripture in a symbolic act of protest. Hence Organizers described it as a “moral reckoning” for a defining moment in national politics.
Reverend Jim Wallis, an advisor to the Obama administration, opened the vigil with a strong statement. “We come in spiritual procession,” he declared. He said faith belongs in a politics when justice and compassion are at stake.
However, Wallis accused Republicans of abandoning the poor. He warned that the budget would remove healthcare from over 60 million people. “That’s not just politics,” he said. “That’s immoral.”
After that, Senator Chris Coons of Delaware took the microphone. He cited the Gospel of Luke to support his opposition. He referenced the parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing the need to care for neighbors in need.
Coons criticized the GOP bill as favoring the wealthy at the expense of hungry children. Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, still serving as a pastor, shared a personal story. In 2017, he was arrested during a prayer protest in the Capitol. He said he stood then, as now, for moral budgeting.
“A budget isn’t just fiscal,” Warnock said. “It shows who you think matters and who you think doesn’t.” He praised the Capitol Police for their professionalism during his arrest.
Warnock added that his faith shaped his activism. “I’m not a senator who used to be a pastor,” he said. “I’m a pastor in the Senate.” To sum up The vigil ended with prayers for justice and equity. Participants urged lawmakers to reject a budget they see as cruel. They promised continued protest if the bill moved forward.
As the moral budget battle unfolds, both sides prepare for the next political showdown. Clergy and senators say they will keep fighting—for faith, for justice, and for America’s most vulnerable.
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