First Hundred Days Strategy

Note: The following piece was written by Providence Associates Suzie Ray, Jane Fischer and Pearlette Springer.

The potential concerns surrounding the “First 100 Days” of President Trump’s second term have slowly but sharply come into focus. It has been less than 30 days since the inauguration and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on the federal level are being dismantled. Raids and deportations have increased 10-fold, if not more. More than 1,500 pardons or commuted sentences were issued, including some violent repeat offenders with promises of retribution. Birthright citizenship being challenged, security clearances and protections revoked, withdrawal from the World Health Organization, medical science research on pause until further notice, federal financial assistance placed on hold until further notice … The list goes on and on.

The Providence Community is leaning heavily on the letters and teachings of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin (SMTG) to get us through these tough times. We are also depending on many of the national non-profit peace and justice organizations to guide us. In this newsletter, we pull from the rich materials and resources provided by NETWORK. 

NETWORK, advocates for justice and inspired by Catholic religious sisters, began to form in 1971. The Network officially opened its doors in April 1972. Located in the District of Columbia (DC), staff members initially lived and worked in the same house. This house also served as the gathering place for local activists who met for Saturday night liturgies and other events.

In this newsletter, we examined the top five targeted areas of the Trump Administration, also known as Project 2025. As you read through this newsletter, we hope you will see how Saint Mother Theodore Guerin impacts the Providence Community and where you can impact the world through the lens of Love, Mercy, and Justice.

The manners, the customs, and usages here are so different from ours that they will appear extraordinary. — Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

NETWORK Advocates’ Policy Agenda.

1. PROTECT SNAP: Our Most Essential Tool to Prevent Hunger

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has served for decades as our nation’s most essential tool to prevent hunger. SNAP is also central to the struggle to lift people out of poverty. But even with SNAP in place since 1964, 34 million of our neighbors in the U.S. still face hunger, including 9 million children. These numbers are inexcusable and immoral.

Throughout the budget reconciliation process and the Farm Bill reauthorization this year, our priorities are clear:

• First and foremost, Congress must hold the line against any cuts to current SNAP benefit levels and against any new and more punishing work-reporting barriers.
• Second, Congress must remove the Farm Bill’s unjustifiable lifetime ban on SNAP benefits for individuals convicted of drug felonies.

SNAP is the low-income healthy grocery money for the working poor and elderly people. The program itself represents an important public-private partnership. More than 248,000 retailers participate in SNAP nationwide. Retailers accept SNAP as a form of payment for food purchases and redeemed a total of about $55.6 billion in benefits in 2019. (SNAP by State).

WIC – (Women, Infants, Children)provides free healthy foods for low-income pregnant and postpartum women with infants and children. The WIC program also provides personalized nutrition education, breastfeeding support, referrals to other services, and more. (WIC Fact Sheet).

Food Insecurity in America: Food insecurity occurs when people cannot access the food they need to live healthy lives. There are many causes of food insecurity. One thing is clear: financial security for everyone is the most effective way to end hunger. Food insecurity is a systemic issue and can happen to anyone. People experiencing food insecurity struggle with poverty and unemployment, lack of affordable housing, chronic health conditions, racism, and discrimination. According to Feeding America, the consequences of food insecurity are poor physical health, poor mental health, poor emotional health, and poor school and work performance.

Show kindness to them (children) and be attentive to their spiritual and physical needs. — Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

2. Ensure Consumers Can Choose Clean Energy

Investments in new clean energy solutions are making our homes, neighborhoods, and planet cleaner, safer, and more sustainable for the future.

• Congress must maintain and expand current climate initiatives to ensure continued progress in reducing emissions, creating green jobs, and building a resilient, sustainable economy for all.
• Congress must make the IRA Clean Energy Tax Credits permanent to ensure billions of dollars in public and private investment and bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., all while transitioning away from fossil fuels.

(Laura Peralta-Schulte, Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, NETWORK)

Paris Climate Agreement: On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the landmark Paris Climate Agreement which will take another year to complete under the rules of the United Nations. APNews reports that “the outgoing Biden administration last month offered a plan to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent by 2035.

Charging Stations:  In another recent executive order, President Trump put an immediate pause on billions of dollars in funding allocated for electric vehicles (EV) charging stations appropriated through the climate law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, and the bipartisan infrastructure law approved in 2021.

Believe me … always and everywhere you will find people who will try your patience and you yourself will try theirs. — Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

3. Protect Medicaid and the ACA from Cuts that Kill

Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provide affordable healthcare coverage for millions of Americans. Access to quality health care is a fundamental human right that should be available to all, with no exceptions.

• Congress must block efforts to cut Medicaid funding or change its structure through block grants, per capita spending caps, or punishing work-reporting barriers.
• Congress must make the ACA premium tax credits permanent so we can all afford health insurance.

As of January 2025, 79.4 million Americans are on Medicaid, which is the largest source of healthcare coverage in our country. Medicaid provides coverage for health and other related services to those most economically disadvantaged populations. For example, low-income seniors, children, families, and people with disabilities. Many of the benefits provided by Medicaid are long-term services and support. This is similar to what we see with food insecurity, it is a systemic issue. 

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was signed into law in 2010. It has provided tremendous assistance to families with low to moderate income by providing tax credits. When families apply for healthcare under the ACA, their premiums are based on a sliding scale making it more affordable. The rate of uninsured individuals has been declining in the last decade, reaching a record low of approximately 7.2 percent in 2022, thanks in no small part to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

When they are ill, take good care of them. — Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

4. Ensure the Wealthy and Corporations Pay Their Fair Share

NETWORK supports a just federal tax system that taxes wealth like it taxes work, encourages big corporations to produce in the U.S. instead of shifting profits and jobs overseas, and requires billionaires to fairly contribute to the nation that made their success possible. In 2017 Trump-GOP tax cuts overwhelmingly benefited ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations at the expense of our communities.

• Congress must hold the line against extending further tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and corporations.
• Congress must expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for the security of our families. A strong, fully refundable, monthly CTC will help children flourish and develop into healthy members of our society.

Working for a just distribution of the fruits of the Earth and human labor is not mere philanthropy. It is a moral obligation. — Pope Francis, Address to the World Meeting of Popular Movements, July 2015

President Trump’s administration plan is to raise taxes on low- and middle-income households to finance tax cuts for the wealthy and large corporations. The plan includes intermediate tax reform that includes changing the tax brackets and corporate tax cuts that would shift the tax burden toward middle-income households. 

The shift toward a fat consumption tax while eliminating income taxes would lead to an average $5,900 tax increase for the middle 20 percent of households and an average $2 million tax cut to the top 0.1 percent. A flat tax imposes the same tax rate on all individuals regardless of their income level. It actually places an excessive burden on low-income earners. 

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is set to expire next year, so it will be key for Congress to act on it. The Child Tax Credit has helped families by making a difference in the following ways:

• Lifts nearly 3 million children out of poverty in 2021
• Improves food security by helping families buy food while reducing food insecurity
• Helps families pay for housing and reduces homelessness
• Helps families pay for health care and education
• Helps families reduce their use of other government programs
• Helps families budget and pay off debt.

We had but one dollar remaining … and we did not know where to get a cent for the want of the house. Still, how could I mistrust Divine Providence? — Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

5. Keep Families Together and Protect People Seeking Asylum

The Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching are clear: we are called to love our neighbor and welcome the immigrant. For decades, Catholics and people of faith across the country have called for a just reform of our nation’s immigration system and the protection of people fleeing persecution. Yet, the Trump administration plans to criminalize immigrants and engage in the mass separation of immigrant families — causing devastating hardship and emotional distress in our communities. Family unity must be the cornerstone of the U.S. immigration system. To this end:

• Congress must prevent the criminalization of immigration and immigrants.
• Congress must expand legal pathways to citizenship, honoring the significant contributions of immigrants and their legitimate reasons for migrating — including to seek safety from violence for their families.
• Congress must ensure humanitarian protections and due process for all immigrants. From asylum and Temporary Protected Status to refugee resettlement programs and protections for victims of trafficking, strong humanitarian protections make our communities safer for everyone.

Swift and fast changes are happening with the immigrant communities and it has been less than 30 days into the new administration. This situation is very fluid.

President Trump’s new administration has called for “expedited removal” which is a process normally only used near the border. It enables raids in sensitive zones like schools, hospitals, and religious institutions. Ultimately, the goal is to double the number of immigrants up to 100,000 on any given day, who can be jailed and locked up while facing deportation. Because an emergency has been declared, courts are bypassed and deportation can take place immediately. It calls for more immigrants to be subject to mandatory deportation, regardless of whether they are a public safety risk. 

Military personnel have already been dispatched to the southern border due to the declaration of emergency to prevent crossings at the border. They want to enact new laws to shut down the border and increase the hurdles for asylum seekers. This will only create more chaos at the border.

Mexico is already putting up large tent encampments to house the influx of Mexicans returning to their country. The shelters are temporary and will be ready for immigrants in just a few days.  

President Trump’s administration also calls for eliminating popular relief programs and visa categories, including ending protections for more than half a million Dreamers (DACA) who arrived here as children. This also includes the 176,000 Ukrainians who fled the war in their country. Also affected are nearly 700,000 immigrants who are in Temporary Protected Status, many who have lived and worked in the country for decades. 

Perfect abandonment of ourselves in all things for the future requires great courage, but we ought to aspire to it. — Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

A Call to Action

NETWORK Advocate issues connected to hunger, healthcare and the environment.

• Become a member of NETWORK to support their actions.
• Follow NETWORK on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and X.
• Visit your representatives in your community and invite others to join you.
• Educate yourself on key issues — a place to start is here.