Press Release

ICYMI: Faith & Policy Leaders Unite for Tax Justice: “People Over Profit” Gathering to Address Expiring Tax Cuts

04. 11. 2025

With support from ESP, Washington Interfaith Network Mobilized Hundreds as Congress Considers $4.5 Trillion in Tax Cuts for Billionaires

WASHINGTON, DC — With the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of 2025, the Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) united faith leaders, economists, and community advocates for “People Over Profit: Tax Justice for All,” an interfaith gathering outside the U.S. Treasury Building on Thursday, April 10. Downloadable images from the event are available via Getty Images here. 

The outdoor event responded to congressional budget reconciliation discussions that include proposals for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires and corporations at the expense of working families. Speakers addressed the moral basis for fair tax policy and it’s direct impacts on housing, healthcare, education, and infrastructure in D.C. communities and beyond.

“Federal tax policies shape our local communities, yet they continue to favor the wealthiest few over working families,” said Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church and Chair of WIN’s Board. “A budget is a moral document that reveals our true priorities as a society. When we see proposals that would give trillions in tax cuts to billionaires while working families struggle to make ends meet, we have a moral obligation to speak out and to seek the welfare of our communities over profits.”

The event is part of a national campaign in partnership with the Economic Security Project and Community Change to address tax policy as the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act approaches expiration.

“Tax policy isn’t abstract—it determines whether communities have affordable housing, quality healthcare, good schools, and reliable infrastructure,” said Dorian Warren, President of Community Change and Board Chair of the Economic Security Project. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our economic policies to reflect our values of equity and shared prosperity – together, we will call for a just tax system that ensures fairness at every level and prioritizes everyday people over the most powerful.”

The interfaith gathering brought together DC residents, faith communities, and community organizations to raise a collective moral voice for a fair tax system that works for everyone. Federal tax decisions directly impact funding for District programs and services, making this a critical issue for local residents who will stand together to demand policies that prioritize justice for communities over profits.

List of Speakers (In order of appearance)

  • Alison Dunn Almaguer, Executive Director/ Lead Organizer of the Washington Interfaith Network, WIN DC
  • Rev. Mia McClain, Riverside Baptist Church 
  • Larry Mishel, Former President, Economic Policy Institute
  • Erica Williams, Executive Director, DC Fiscal Policy Institute
  • Dorian Warren, President, Community Change & Board Chair, Economic Security Project
  • Samuel Epps, President, Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO
  • Musical Artist, Yusha Assad
  • Rev. Ben Roberts, Foundry United Methodist Church
  • Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef, Masjid Muhammad, The Nation’s Mosque
  • Rabbi Hannah Goldstein, Temple Sinai
  • Rev. Rob Keithan, All Souls Unitarian Church 
  • Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

About Economic Security Project (ESP)
Economic Security Project advocates for ideas that build economic power for all Americans. We legitimize bold ideas by supporting cutting edge research and elevating champions, win concrete policy victories for the communities that need to see change now, and provoke the conventional wisdom to shift what’s considered possible. Our team of academics, organizers, practitioners and culture makers disburse grants, run issue campaigns, develop creative interventions and research products, and convene to encourage investment and action from others.

About Washington Interfaith Network (WIN)
The Washington Interfaith Network (WIN), founded in 1996, is a broad-based, multi-racial, multi-faith, strictly non-partisan, District-wide citizens’ power organization rooted in local congregations and associations. WIN is committed to training and developing neighborhood leaders, addressing community issues, and holding elected and corporate officials accountable in Washington, DC. WIN’s 45 dues-paying members represent 25,000 families in every section of the District and reflect its theological, racial, geographic, and economic diversity.

For more information, please contact: Helen Gebregiorgis at [email protected].