| Congress studies church-charity measures 03/22/2001 Associated Press WASHINGTON – President Bush's plan to steer tax dollars to religious groups got off to an enthusiastic start in the House on Wednesday, with members praising churches for their social work.
In the Senate, however, supporters said they will delay introducing the heart of the president's plan until constitutional and other questions are resolved.
Both bills would give new tax breaks to encourage charitable giving, as Mr. Bush has proposed, and would create tax credits to match the savings of low-income workers.
Only the House version takes up Mr. Bush's idea of expanding "charitable choice," which allows religious groups to compete for government money while retaining their religious character.
Specifically, the House bill would open 10 new programs to religious groups: housing, juvenile justice, community development block grants, job training, child welfare, child care, crime prevention, senior citizen services, domestic violence and hunger relief.
"For too long, we have excluded these individuals from helping us help others," said Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., who plans to introduce the bill next week with Rep. Tony Hall, D-Ohio. "We need all the soldiers we can muster."
Some supporters have tried to play down the religious content of the programs that are likely to get money. On Wednesday, Mr. Watts and others argued that it is the religion that makes certain programs work.
"There was that little extra something that made a difference," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.
But charitable choice has come under fierce criticism, and Sens. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., are leaving it out for now.
Christian conservatives worry that government money will undermine the religious core of these programs. Civil libertarians argue that it amounts to an unconstitutional government funding of religion. Others complain that under charitable choice, religious groups could continue to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring.
One critic, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., argued that if the programs are religious in nature, then charitable choice amounts to government funding of religion. If they are not, he said, there is no reason they cannot set up a secular, nonprofit group to get government money, as many now do.
|
