For Immediate Release November 1, 2012

Contact:
Matt Sinovic
(515) 423-0530
matt@progressiowa.org

DES MOINES — Today, the ‘Nuns on the Bus’ return to Iowa for a one-day, three-stop tour. The tour will feature Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS, along with fellow Catholic sisters, holding public events across Iowa to discuss the Romney-Ryan budget, as well as the issues of poverty and health care.

“As Catholic sisters, we are called to give special attention to the needs of those facing poverty, and we think our elected leaders need to do the same. Our visit to Iowa is an opportunity for those who wish to represent us to hear the stories of hardship and hope that we heard on the bus,” said Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS of NETWORK and organizer of the original “Nuns on the Bus” tour. “Shamefully, some politicians have referred to those who receive assistance from the government as ‘lazy’ and ‘dependent;’ nothing could be further from the truth. We hope that highlighting these stories will provide witness to the reality of poverty in America and the need for a strong social safety net.”

Each event will feature Sr. Campbell and will bring together stories from across Iowa and the Midwest related to health care, hunger, housing, and economic fairness. Sr. Campbell will join local Iowa Catholic Sisters on a one-day three-stop tour of our state with stops in Des Moines, Mason City, and Waterloo.

WHO: Catholic Sisters, people of faith, individuals and families, including:

Sr. Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby and organizer of original “Nuns on the Bus” tour, Washington, DC

WHAT: Press Conferences featuring Sr. Simone Campbell and Iowa Catholic Sisters

• 10:00 AM TODAY, Thursday, November 1 – Iowa State Capitol; East 9th & Grand Ave, Room 116, Des Moines, Iowa
• 1:00 PM TODAY, Thursday, November 1- Cerro Gordo County Courthouse; 220 N Washington Ave, Mason City, Iowa
• 3:00 PM TODAY, Thursday, November 1 – Office of Working Families Win; 212 E 4th St, Waterloo, Iowa

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NETWORK—a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace—educates, organizes and lobbies for economic and social transformation. Founded in 1971 by 47 Catholic sisters, NETWORK is supported by thousands of groups and individuals committed to working for social and economic justice.www.networklobby.org

For more information about NETWORK and the national Nuns on the Bus campaign, contact Stephanie Niedringhaus, NETWORK Communications Coordinator, at sniedringhaus@networklobby.org or 202-347-9797 x 224.

Background: Catholic Sisters stand with the Catholic Bishops in criticizing the Ryan budget and are committed to staying faithful to their mission to serve those in need. Because of their work, Sisters see the suffering of people in poverty on a daily basis. As a result, they recognize the harm that the Ryan budget will cause, including:

● Undermining the food stamp program (SNAP) at a time when millions need it to feed their families

● Beginning to shift Medicare to a voucher program, thus driving more seniors into poverty

● Giving large tax breaks to the wealthy at the expense of protections for struggling families

● Drastically cutting funding for health insurance programs for low-income people, causing millions to lose access to health care

● Increasing Pentagon spending while cutting programs that serve people in need — despite the Pentagon saying there are military programs that should be cut.

The bus tour is meant to focus attention on the enormous moral choices facing our country. Do we choose to be a nation of individualism and fear where the rich get richer at the expense of those in need? Or do we reclaim the principles of our founders and work together for all the people to form a more perfect union?