Congress debates funding faith-based programs

By The Associated Press

03.21.01

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WASHINGTON — President Bush's plan to provide support and money to religious groups got rolling today on Capitol Hill, but with little consensus on whether congregations should get greater access to government programs.

A House bill would open 10 new programs to religious groups, allowing them to compete for government money without stripping away their religious character, as Bush has proposed. But a Senate bill, also unveiled today, leaves out the provision known as "charitable choice."

Both bills would create tax credits to match the savings of low-income participants and give new tax breaks to encourage charitable giving.

There has been fierce criticism of the heart of Bush's plan — expanding charitable choice to programs across the government, and Sens. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., are leaving it out for now.

"It's better to wait a few months and see if we can resolve the questions raised," Lieberman said. "I remain optimistic."

In the House, though, sponsors are moving ahead.

Often it's the religious elements of a program that reach people, said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., giving participants "a reason to live, a reason to change their lives."

"We need all the soldiers we can muster," added Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Okla., who will introduce a bill next week with Rep. Tony Hall, D-Ohio.

The White House professed no concern that the central element of Bush's plan is being left out of the Senate bill.

"This is an important first step," spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday. "We're pleased this bipartisan group of congressional leaders is moving forward to implement the president's initiative."

Charitable choice has come under attack both from Christian conservatives, who worry that government money will undermine the religious core of these programs, and civil libertarians, who argue that it amounts to an unconstitutional government funding of religion.

Opponents also argue that under charitable choice religious groups could continue to hire people on the basis of religion, an exemption from federal civil rights law.

"We urge you to continue the 60-year history of banning federally funded religious discrimination," the American Civil Liberties Union wrote yesterday in a letter to members of Congress.

Charitable choice is now available for welfare, drug treatment and community services programs. The House bill would extend it to several other domestic programs, making it clear that religious groups are eligible for government money in programs for housing, juvenile justice, community development block grants, job training, child welfare, child care, crime prevention, senior citizen services, domestic violence and hunger relief.

"This bill doesn't have a prayer," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, of the House measure. "It undercuts the integrity of churches, subsidizes religious discrimination and subjects people in need to religious coercion."

Both the House and Senate bills would:

• Allow the 70% of tax filers who claim the standard deduction (rather than itemizing their deductions individually) to claim an extra deduction for charitable contributions.
• Allow people to donate money from their individual retirement accounts to charity without paying taxes on the withdrawals.
• Expand the charitable deduction for food donations to noncorporate taxpayers. This would allow restaurant franchises, for example, to claim a deduction for donations.
• Offer a new tax credit for banks, credit unions or community groups that create individual development accounts, which match the savings of low-income participants. The institutions would match up to $500 of an individual's savings.

Participants could use the matching funds to finance a home, pay for education or start a small business.

Neither bill includes a Bush proposal to allow states to use their federal welfare money for state tax breaks to encourage charitable giving. Critics worry that this practice would drain money needed for direct aid to the poor and that it would wind up favoring some charities over others.

Update

Senate, House mull charitable-choice debate
Religious, political leaders examine whether offering more federal dollars to religious groups offends First Amendment.  06.08.01

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