Nuns deliver ‘Faithful Budget’ to Rep. Paul Ryan’s office

A group of Catholic nuns are asking GOP Rep. Paul Ryan to consider changing his budget cutting ways and adopting what they call a “Faithful Budget.”

Four nuns who spend their time in Washington, D.C. lobbying in support of social justice funding parked their bus outside Congressman’s Ryan’s Janesville office Tuesday, and were met by about 200 singing supporters.

Many in the crowd carried signs reading “We stand with the nuns.” Norb Jarzynski, a retired union electrician from Milton, carried a sign that said ‘Paul Ryan’s budget hurts Wisconsin.’ “His policy regarding Social Security, I think, is just is unbelievable. The concept of just giving me a voucher a few years down the road is just totally ridiculous.”

Congressman Ryan was not there to meet the nuns, but Sister Simone Campbell delivered a copy of the “Faithful Budget” to his staff, who she said were friendly and took copious notes. The budget would invest in infrastructure, fully fund social welfare programs and cut funds to the military: a stark contrast, she says, to Ryan’s budget, recently passed by the House. “[His budget] actually shifts tax cuts to the wealthy and $8 billion more to the military than what the military is asking for, and so from our perspective that’s not a good choice for the nation.”

But there was another nun at the event who had a different view. Sister Rosalia Bauer of Beloit was wearing a pro-life t-shirt and told reporters she likes the Ryan budget: “People have a real sense of dignity when they are given a job, have a job, and when they have an opportunity to work and I do believe that’s what Paul Ryan is trying to stimulate our economy, first of all: making cuts.”

Bauer says the government can’t just keep printing money and growing the deficit.