The official in charge of President George Bushs “faith-based
initiative” said the White House has not given up on efforts to expand
the governments ability to give money to churches and other overtly religious
charities.
The official in charge of President George Bushs “faith-based
initiative” said the White House has not given up on efforts to expand
the governments ability to give money to churches and other overtly religious
charities.
As director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives, Jim Towey also recently countered arguments of those who oppose
the practice.
The presidents faith-based proposal stalled when the
Senate dropped a “charitable choice” provision that had become the
most controversial part the debate. The provision would allow religious organizations
to accept government funds for providing a greater number of social services.
Supporters of charitable choice say it is discrimination not
to allow religion-based social service programs to compete with secular agencies
for taxpayer funding.
Opponents say direct support of such organizations violates
the First Amendment ban on establishment of religion.
Nevertheless, Bush continues to support the expansion of the
charitable choice concept, Towey said in a May 21 address.
The House version of Bushs faith-based bill – dubbed
the “Community Solutions Act” – passed last year and would expand
charitable choice to several new programs.
Charitable choice was introduced to a limited number of government
programs as part of welfare reform in 1996. Suddenly, “pervasively sectarian”
organizations could apply for certain government funds. Before then, only secular
organizations or religiously-affiliated entities that could separate their secular
and religious functions were eligible for such funding. Such groups are termed
“non-pervasively sectarian.”
Expanding such grants to other federal programs was a central
part of Bushs faith-based initiative. But earlier this year, the White
House reportedly agreed to have that provision dropped from the Senate version
of the bill in a compromise with Democrats.
In place of charitable choice, the Senate version – known
as the CARE (Charity, Aid, Recovery and Empowerment) Act – offers significant
tax incentives for individuals who donate to charities.
Bush announced Toweys appointment to the faith-based
post shortly after the Senate compromise. Prior to his May 21 address, Towey
had not gone on record with his opinion on charitable choice, but he made it
clear that he believes expanding charitable choice is still the way to go.
“I like charitable choice,” Towey said.
He said the House version of faith-based legislation is a good
bill. “The president feels very strongly about this,” he added.
In his remarks, Towey also referred to the controversy that
has swirled around Bushs faith-based plan from the start. “I admired
the presidents courage,” he said. “I knew that it was going
to be badly misrepresented in the media, and it was.”
Towey said part of that distortion came in the form of arguments
against charitable choice by groups supporting the separation of church and
state. “(However,) Strict (church-state) separation
is really only
about 40 years old, when it comes to Supreme Court law,” he pointed out.
He also noted government grants have gone to non-pervasively
religious entities – such as Catholic Charities – for years.
Towey also painted the opposition as political, asking why
there was not similar criticism when then-candidate Al Gore said he supported
charitable choice or when President Bill Clinton signed the welfare-reform bill
that included charitable choice in 1996.
Church-state watchdog groups did criticize Gore and Clinton at the time, but
charitable choice did not receive much media attention until Bush unveiled his
plan. (ABP)