House Approves Bush Faith Plan
W A S H I N G T O N, July 19 -- In a victory for President Bush, theRepublican-controlled House approved legislation today expandingthe role of religious charities in federal social programs.Opponents complained vociferously the bill would pre-empt state andlocal anti-discrimination laws.
The 233-198 vote represented a down payment on Bush's campaignpledge to "rally the armies of compassion" to attack the nation'ssocial ills. The measure faces an uncertain fate in theDemocratic-controlled Senate. "Faith heals, faith renews, faith gives the hope that thiscountry needs," said Rep. Charles Pickering, R-Miss., beforepassage, which came after a one-day delay prompted by objectionsfrom GOP rebels. "Our president has called on us to remove thehindrances … to the faith-based approach."
But Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said her Catholic education"has taught me to oppose discrimination in every form. … Theproblem is that today this House will vote to legalizediscrimination as we minister to the needs of the poor." In the waning moments of debate, the bill's supporters turnedback a final attempt by Democrats to ban employment discriminationunder federal, state or local laws for any organization receivinggovernment funds under the law. The vote was 234-195. That issue led the conservative Family Research Council to claimthe bill was "in danger of being hijacked by homosexualgroups." The council said it would abandon its support for thebill if it were changed to defer to state and local laws. In the Senate, Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has notpledged to schedule debate before next year. In a reference to thedispute over discrimination, he told reporters during the day, "Ican't imagine that we could pass any bill that would tolerateslipping back into a level of tolerance that would be unacceptablein today's society." Religious charities are permitted to receive grants in a smallnumber of federal programs under current law. The legislation wouldexpand the list significantly to areas such as housing, domesticviolence and hunger relief.
