OVERVIEW | VOTING RIGHTS | FARM BILL RENEWAL | FEDERAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT REFORM | GLOBAL HIV/AIDS FIGHT THROUGH PEPFAR | AUGUSTA VICTORIA HOSPITAL AND EJHN FUNDING | IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT FUNDING | ADDITIONAL PLANNING RESOURCES
August Recess is a congressional tradition that brings heightened opportunities to reach out to your federal lawmakers where you – and they – live. U.S. representatives traditionally return to their home districts in this month to engage with their constituents.
What does this mean for constituents? Town Halls and in-district meetings may be available in this period that create windows to raise your experiences, the experiences of your faith community, and policy concerns locally. It is a time faith voices can highlight ministries of accompaniment and draw attention to communities and concerns whose concerns may be disregarded in political processes.
How do you find out what opportunities are available? Your lawmaker’s Web presence is likely to highlight opportunities. One way to get to that Website is from govtrack.us. Local media and publicity may also share a schedule.
- If a Town Hall is listed, it may be an open forum or a virtual experience. You may need to register to attend and/or raise a question. Virtual experiences may be especially constrained in a question-and-answer format, but any Town Hall can be a meaningful connection point.
- You may request a local meeting in this period – but request this time on your lawmaker’s calendar as early as possible since calendars get filled.
- Issue-centric meetings can be held in-person or virtually and will be strongest with intentional preparation including by pre-planning partner attendees. Find tips below.
- A showcase of your ministry can be an effective relationship builder with your presence in the community. In-person or virtually, a tour and impact illustration can position ongoing connection.
- A chance for a lawmaker to speak or connect with constituents after a worship service or event can also be a strong relationship building experience, mindful that participation by congregations in such activities must be strictly nonpartisan and abide by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines.
If an ELCA-affiliated State Public Policy office is in your area, these leaders can be very helpful for local education and lawmaker connections.
Below are suggestions from our ELCA federal policy staff about issues that intersect with ELCA Federal Policy Priorities for the 119th Congress which are presently on the horizon. Question prompts may help you shape a timely way to use August Recess opportunities.
THIS MOMENT IN TIME–Voting Rights
“A government function quickly loses credibility if carried out unfairly or arbitrarily, in a way that discriminates against some in favor of others. Government systems should strive to include the perspectives of those affected by their decisions and to seek fair representation of the communities they serve.” – From the ELCA social message Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy, p. 12
REMARKS
Individual voting rights, state election administration processes and federal voter protections remain pressing issues and focal points of contentious legislative debate. Heading into August Recess, lawmakers have an opportunity to engage constituents on the wide-ranging challenges to fair representation that include weakened protections from partisan redistricting, concerning restrictions to access in the form of burdensome voter identification requirements and proposed changes to mail-in voting. Every opportunity to share your faith-informed values and your concerns with your elected officials will play a meaningful role in shaping policy and ensuring free and fair elections for all eligible Americans to cast a vote and have it counted.
QUESTIONS
- Have you supported or opposed the SAVE America Act? Will you continue to do so?
- How would the proposed changes of the SAVE America Act impact our state election administration process, and which eligible voters in our state would have difficulty meeting new requirements?
- What lasting reforms can you lead in Congress to prevent future barriers to voting, ensure that all eligible Americans have access to cast a vote at the ballot box, and increase confidence that our vote will be counted?
THIS MOMENT IN TIME – Farm Bill Renewal
“Farmers face the challenge of producing this food in ways that contribute to the regeneration of the land and the vitality of rural communities. At the same time, society as a whole must address the high levels of risk farmers face and the low prices they often receive.” – From the ELCA social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All , p. 16
REMARKS
The Farm Bill, which sets federal policy for both nutrition assistance and farm programs, has been temporarily extended through Sep. 30, 2026. Legislation last year cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) low-income food assistance deeply, rapidly shifting new burdens on administering states and adding new paperwork requirements for vulnerable populations, including veterans and children aging out of foster care. This comes in a year when many ELCA World Hunger partners have reported new demands on hunger ministries, states have cited massive implementation concerns. Additionally surging prices and price uncertainty have left many farmers in dire situations. Though the House passed a Farm Bill renewal bill that would lock in the SNAP changes moving forward, timing in the Senate for passage this year remains uncertain. It is critical in August, ahead of the expiration of the current Farm Bill temporary extension, that we urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill that supports BOTH hungry families and farmers.
QUESTIONS
- I am deeply concerned with the hasty changes made to the SNAP hunger program, and with many farmers increasingly saying they can no longer afford to grow all their crops this year. Many governors are urging a delay in the implementation of SNAP cost-shares for two years to give them more time to absorb new costs. With the Farm Bill expiring at the end of September, will you be committed to passing a Farm Bill that supports both hungry families and farm communities as soon as possible?
THIS MOMENT IN TIME – Federal Disaster Management Reform
“As the science related to global warming and climate change has become more definitive and persuasive, many across the globe are raising increasingly anguished cries. Many of us in the ELCA contribute to and/or volunteer for organizations… that have diligently responded to the devastation caused by wildfires in the West, tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast, and flooding throughout the country, caused by severe storms and hurricanes.” – From the ELCA social message “Earth’s Climate Crisis,” pp. 8-9
REMARKS
Disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity—wildfires, hurricanes, floods and severe storms are devastating more communities each year. Yet survivors often face confusing paperwork, long delays and inequitable access to aid. Faith-based partners, like Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR), aim to fill the gap between what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can provide and what makes people “whole” again. With proposals to reduce the scope of FEMA, this gap is widening. The bipartisan FEMA Act of 2025 (H.R. 4669) takes long-overdue steps to strengthen and modernize federal disaster management. By elevating FEMA to a cabinet-level agency, creating a universal assistance form, streamlining funding and ensuring oversight and public accountability, this bill can ensure that FEMA is serving disaster survivors and communities more holistically and efficiently. This legislation is a practical step toward a just, compassionate and resilient national disaster system.
QUESTIONS
- How do you see the federal government’s role in disaster response?
- Do you (House member) or would you (Senator) support a bill like the FEMA Act of 2025?
- With increased natural disasters becoming more devastating, how can the federal government help communities build resiliency before disaster strikes?
THIS MOMENT IN TIME – Global HIV/AIDS Fight through PEPFAR
“As citizens, we ought to support those disease-preventing and health-promoting public health measures that can be taken only at community, state, and national levels. We also have responsibility to support similar efforts that address disease prevention, health promotion, and treatment on a global scale.” – From ELCA social statement Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor, p. 8
REMARKS
For decades, the United States led the world in the fight against global HIV/AIDS. One of its most successful bilateral programs, known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has saved 25 million lives since it was launched in 2003 by President George W. Bush. However, when President Trump came into power in January 2025, his administration terminated many lifesaving, global health programs, including PEPFAR programs. Making matters worse, the administration is currently withholding an estimated 50 percent of funds Congress had previously approved for PEPFAR programming, jeopardizing access to HIV medicine and prevention services in countries that need this vital support. It is important to maintain in the awareness of our elected officials the need to resume these lifesaving measures.
QUESTIONS
- I understand that the administration has not been releasing all the PEPFAR funds that Congress has already appropriated for PEPFAR programs, which support people who are living with HIV/AIDS and prevent new infections, including mother-to-child transmissions. Do you support the PEPFAR program?
- As a member of Congress, your role includes holding the administration accountable for following the law, such as the Congressionally approved appropriations for PEPFAR. What will you do to ensure the administration releasees PEPFAR funds as intended by Congress?
THIS MOMENT IN TIME – Augusta Victoria Hospital and EJHN Funding
“A ministry of healing is integral to the life and mission of the Church. It expresses our faith in the power of God to create and to save, as well as our commitment to care for our neighbor. The Holy Spirit empowers us so that we can care for all people as God’s children and seek their healing.”– From ELCA social statement Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor, p. 9
REMARKS
Ensure bipartisan congressional funding for the Augusta Victoria Hospital and the wider East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN) for fiscal year 2027. Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH), operated by the Lutheran World Federation in East Jerusalem and located on the Mount of Olives, serves Christians and Muslims without discrimination. It is the first and only hospital in the West Bank and Gaza to provide comprehensive cancer care, including radiation therapy and palliative care, and the only medical facility in the West Bank offering pediatric kidney dialysis. The Augusta Victoria Hospital is part of the wider East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN), which compromises of six hospitals in East Jerusalem that are a foundational pillar of the entire Palestinian healthcare system in the Holy Land. Congress has provided bipartisan funding support to AVH and the EJHN since 2014. For fiscal year 2027, continued commitment to AVH and the EJHN is needed in Congress, as stability of the Palestinian healthcare system has always had bipartisan agreement and support. In 2024, the EJHN collectively treated 350,000 patients. Support for the EJHN moving forward is vital to stabilize the healthcare system in the Holy Land.
QUESTIONS
- Bipartisan support for Augusta Victoria Hospital and the East Jerusalem Hospital Network in the Holy Land has been essential for meeting vital healthcare needs in this sensitive region. Can you pledge to support the $120 million appropriations request to the EJHN in fiscal year 2027?
- The administration has previously withheld funds in the amount of $15 million to the EJHN which were already allocated to the hospitals by Congress in 2024, which puts the hospital system in a critical funding shortage. Peace and stability have their greatest chance of succeeding in the region with vital systems like this meaningful healthcare provider. Will you pledge to send a letter to the State Department and the White House to determine the status of these funds and a timeline for dispersal?
THIS MOMENT IN TIME – Immigration Enforcement Funding
“Citizens need to give careful attention to how we in the United States perceive our national interest and interpret our national identity, since what states do depends in large measure on their views of their own interests and identity. Sin’s power often makes itself felt in arrogant and self-righteous views of national identity, and in narrow, short-term, and absolute views of national interest.” – From the ELCA social statement For Peace in God’s World, p. 10
REMARKS
In 2025, the Department of Homeland Security saw the largest influx of funding in its history, with a staggering $170 billion appropriated for immigration enforcement – on top of regular annual appropriations. This June, Congress passed an additional windfall of $70 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This means that in less than a year, these agencies have received eight times their usual annual funding, or nearly a quarter trillion dollars to continue operations that have threatened the rights, well-being and lives of our neighbors. ICE and CBP are now better funded than any global military outside of China, Russia and the United States. This August Recess is a good time to speak out against this rampant funding with no accountability, urge protections for our neighbors, and push back on enforcement and detention in your backyard.
QUESTIONS
- In the past year, Congress has voted for almost a quarter trillion dollars in taxpayer money for immigration enforcement, funding agencies that have faced serious concerns over their accountability. What oversight and accountability measures will you fight for if this next funding request does move forward?
- [Insert your brief stories of immigration enforcement’s impact in your community.] Our community can’t wait for another election cycle and new Congress to see changes and protections. What do you commit to in the coming months to help protect the people in our community from profiling, detention, loss of documentation and livelihoods, and deportation? And what is your plan to create lasting reforms in the coming Congress?
- I believe that every human life is precious; that every human being is made in the image of God.
- [IF YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS HAS MADE DISRESPECTFUL STATEMENTS] When you called immigrants [insert language here] in your [insert TV spot/ press release/ social media post], I was appalled. Even if we disagree on policy, we should all agree to speak about people in a way that honors their God-given dignity.
- [FOR ALL] Would you commit in your legislation and communications to uplifting the dignity of all people, including the immigrants who are our neighbors?
ADDITIONAL PLANNING RESOURCES
The following resources are available in the ELCA Resource Center under the topic “Advocacy” and subcategory “Advocacy Tools” unless otherwise indicated.
“For what shall we pray?” is a weekly post inviting individuals, groups, and congregations to lift up our world in prayer. This resource is prepared by a variety of leaders in the ELCA and includes prayer prompts, upcoming events and observances, and prayer suggestions from existing denominational worship materials. You are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point, and to adapt and add other concerns from your local context. More information about this resource can be found here.
