WASHINGTON, USA - In a victory for President Bush, the Republican-controlled House approved legislation Thursday expanding the role of religious charities in federal social programs. Supporters brushed aside complaints the bill would pre-empt state and local anti-discrimination laws.
The 233-198 vote represented a downpayment on Bush's campaign pledge to ''rally the armies of compassion'' to attack the nation's social ills. The measure faces an uncertain fate in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
''Faith heals, faith renews, faith gives the hope that this country needs,'' said Rep. Charles Pickering, R-Miss., before passage, which came after a one-day delay prompted by objections from GOP rebels. ''Our president has called on us to remove the hindrances ... to the faith-based approach.''
But Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said her Catholic education ''has taught me to oppose discrimination in every form. ... The problem is that today this House will vote to legalize discrimination as we minister to the needs of the poor.''
In the waning moments of debate, the bill's supporters turned back a final attempt by Democrats to ban employment discrimination under federal, state or local laws for any organization receiving government funds under the law. The vote was 234-195.
That issue led the conservative Family Research Council to claim that the bill was ''in danger of being hijacked by homosexual groups.'' The council said it would abandon its support for the bill if it were changed to defer to state and local laws.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has not pledged to schedule debate before next year. In a reference to the dispute over discrimination, he told reporters during the day, ''I can't imagine that we could pass any bill that would tolerate slipping back into a level of tolerance that would be unacceptable in today's society.''
Religious charities are permitted to receive grants in a small number of federal programs under current law. The legislation would expand the list significantly to areas such as housing, domestic violence and hunger relief.
Aid recipients would not be required to attend worship services or religious instruction, and individuals would be offered access to assistance from nonreligious organizations if they desired. The organizations themselves would be permitted to retain religious names, charters and symbols on building walls.
In addition, the bill includes a series of tax breaks - worth $13 billion over the next decade - to encourage charitable giving by individuals and corporations.
Taxpayers who do not itemize would be permitted to deduct $25 in donations annually, rising to $100 by the end of the decade.
Constitutional and financial pressures forced supporters of the bill to water it down on its way to the House floor. Concerns about separation of church and state led to changes that would likely prevent funds from reaching some of the religious groups that Bush often cites as examples.
Also, the tax breaks shrank from more than $80 billion in Bush's original budget - so much so that Democrats sniped that most taxpayers would shave less than $4 off their income taxes if they took advantage of the deduction.
Some critics complained the bill would violate the constitution's requirement for separation of church and state.
But most of the controversy surrounded claims the bill would erode federal protections against discrimination in hiring, and more prominently, pre-empt state and local laws on the subject.
Supporters said religious organizations needed to retain their essential character and should be permitted to take religious views into account in hiring. They noted that Congress granted them an exemption from anti-discrimination provisions in a landmark 1964 civil rights law.
Critics said the introduction of federal funds dramatically changed the situation. ''This bill would allow them (churches) to discriminate with federal funds,'' said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., and other Republicans expressed concern about the pre-emption. After a day of backstage negotiations Wednesday, Speaker Dennis Hastert told reporters shortly before the House began debate on the bill, ''We have an agreement ... that I think will take care of most people's problems.''
It involved a scripted exchange of views on the House floor in which the leadership would pledge to address the discrimination issue when it came time to negotiate a House-Senate compromise.
But efforts to ease the concerns of Foley and a small group of Republicans appeared to falter later. ''I'd like to see us go a little bit further and fix it now,'' said Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz.
The bill had overwhelming support among Republicans. Some cited faith-based organizations they said had produced exemplary results when it came to reducing recidivism among prison inmates and drug abusers.
Some Democrats, many Southern conservatives, also spoke out in support.
Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he was squeezed by two competing priorities.
''I support the elements of this legislation,'' he said. ''But on the other hand I don't believe we can allow any attempt to discriminate.....against any segment of our population.''
AP-NY-07-19-01 1624EDT
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.