Update: Christian Leaders Press Presidential Campaigns for Response on Poverty: Obama and Romney Respond with New Exclusive Videos

WHO:Circle of Protection leaders, including Bishop Stephen Blaire (chair, committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops), Rev. Michael Livingston (former president, National Council of Churches), Dr. Barbara Williams Skinner (co-facilitator, National African American Clergy Network), Rev. David Beckmann (president, Bread for the World), Rev. Jim Wallis (president, Sojourners), Rev. Gabriel Salguero (president, National Latino Evangelical Coalition) and Galen Carey (National Association of Evangelicals).

WHAT:Release of new exclusive videos from President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney to people of faith on poverty issues. Faith leaders highlight worsening poverty numbers on the day of the U.S. Census Bureau release. Leaders will announce a robust outreach and education strategy to reach grassroots Christian voters through the videos.

WHEN:Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012
12:30 p.m. ET

WHERE:Zenger Room, National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045
Reporters may conference by dialing: [phone]

DETAILS:Speakers will discuss the latest figures, show that poverty is a key religious issue that must be addressed in the 2012 election, and explain why they sought Obama's and Romney's remarks in a new video compilation. Videos will also be available Sept. 12, 2012, at http://circleofprotection.us/elections.

For more than a year, leaders of various Christian denominations and agencies have come together to advocate for a "Circle of Protection" around funding for programs that are vital to vulnerable people in the United States and around the world.

To supplement the heightened focus on middle-class and wealthy Americans during this election campaign, Circle of Protection leaders pressed presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to publicly state what each "proposes to do to provide help and opportunity for hungry and poor people in our country and around the world." This comes at a time when the most recent poverty data is projected to be the worst on record since the U.S. Census Bureau began recording.

CONTACTS: Racine Hamilton, Bread for the World
[phone] office; [phone] cell, [e-mail]
Carrie Adams, Sojourners, [phone], [e-mail]
Sarah Kropp, National Association of Evangelicals, [phone], [e-mail]
Kathy Saile, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, [phone], [e-mail]

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Sept. 11, 2012/

SOURCE Bread for the World