NETWORK is a national Catholic social justice lobbying group based in Washington, DC[1] NETWORK was founded on December 17, 1971 by forty-seven Catholic nuns as a group dedicated to ensuring "justice for all." The organization now represents the views of its more than 100,000 members across the country. It is run by its national director, currently Sr. Simone Campbell and by a board of directors primarily made up of women religious and lay women.
NETWORK's mission is to be "a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace." Issues that the organization lobbies on include:
On March 18, 2010 Sr. Simone Campbell was interviewed by NPR about NETWORK's support of the then pending US national health care bill, when she, along with "heads of dozens of religious orders representing more than 50,000 nuns"[1] signed a letter to congress urging passage. NETWORK circulated the letter to the various heads of the orders and asked them to sign.[1] In the interview, Sr. Campbell was asked about divisions within the Catholic Church and the difference between her position and that of the US Catholic Bishops.[1]
Sr. Campbell received a "hug of gratitude" from President Barack Obama at the signing ceremony for the March 2010 Health Care Reform act.[2] The NETWORK group was credited with being a significant force in the passage of the bill into law.[2]