The White House is completing four government regulations and proposing a half-dozen more to provide federal money for religion-oriented programs run by people President Bush has dubbed America's "neighborhood healers."
Bush was to call Cabinet members to the White House on Monday to hear how they are eliminating barriers that have kept "faith-based" groups from obtaining federal grants to help people in need, said a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"The president feels very strongly that we need to tear down the wall that separates the poor from effective programs," the official said. "The president doesn't want to make the public square faith-favored, he simply wants to make it faith-friendly."
The official said the White House also would announce that the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $30.5 million in grants to 81 organizations, which will use the money to provide technical assistance and sub-grants to church-related and community groups in 45 states
Last year, $24 million in grants from the Compassion Capital Fund were awarded to help 21 small charities, including religious groups, expand their programs.
The president has long pushed to let religious groups compete for government money, so long as their services are available to anybody in need. Opponents fear the government would wind up paying for religion. They also object to allowing taxpayer-funded groups to hire and fire based on religious persuasion.
When his initiative stalled in Congress amid this controversy, Bush sidestepped lawmakers with executive orders and regulations to give religious organizations equal footing with nonsectarian ones in competing for federal contracts.
The president was dealing with the first four regulations to be finalized under his initiative.
HHS has finalized regulations giving faith-based organizations access to nearly $20 billion in social service grants under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Community Services Block Grant program.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has finalized regulations making faith-based groups eligible to compete for $8 billion in housing grants.
Bush was also to be briefed on six new regulatory or policy changes proposed at the Justice, Education, Labor and Veterans Affairs departments.