Tuesday, September 23, 2003

New rules to help faith-based groups get funds
New York Times story reprinted in the San Francisco Chronicle - "The Bush administration acted Monday to make it easier for religious organizations to receive federal funding for a range of social welfare programs and awarded $30.5 million in grants to encourage religious and community groups to do more to help people in need. The actions followed through on President Bush's directives to use nonlegislative means to remove barriers to federal funding of social programs operated by churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious organizations. They brought renewed criticism from groups who say the administration is using taxpayer money to support and potentially promote organized religion in violation of the principle of separation of church and state. The White House said it had finalized regulations that will allow religious groups to compete for nearly $20 billion in grants to assist substance abuse, mental health, welfare-to-work and other programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services."