As the government shutdown entered its second week, many religious leaders ramped up their criticism of lawmakers in Washington. A coalition of 98 Catholic, evangelical, and mainline Protestant leaders accused elected officials of pursuing an ideological agenda at the expense of vulnerable families and the working poor. Several Christian leaders staged what they called a “Faithful Filibuster” near the US Capitol, where they continuously read Bible passages about caring for the poor:

KATHY SAILE (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): (reading from Proverbs 14) “If you mistreat the poor, you insult your Creator. If you are kind to them, you show Him respect.”