Rights of Government Grantees

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Study Finds Deficient Tracking for Federal Grants to Faith-Based Groups

The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, a non-partisan research organization, has released a report on government funding of faith-based social services, stating in its press release that “it is nearly impossible to track how most of the money is being used.” The primary reasons cited for difficulty in tracking these funds were:

Devolution -- States contract out federal funds at many different levels;
No centralized system or database tracks grants, contracts and vouchers;

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General Accounting Office Releases Charitable Choice Report

The GAO has released a report on implementation of "charitable choice" legislation that allows the federal funding of faith-based social service programs. Several programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Community Services Block Grant and substance abuse programs currently have charitable choice provisions in them. While charitable choice was designed to increase grant opportunities for these organizations, the GAO found that only 8% of the $1 billion in TANF funds granted to non-governmental organizations went to faith-based organizations.

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CARE Act Update: Sponsors Still Pushing, Compassion Capital Grants Awarded

Sens. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), the lead sponsors of the CARE Act, say that they are close to a unanimous consent agreement that would bring the CARE Act to a Senate floor vote with a limited number of amendments dealing with religious discrimination, proselytization, preemption of state and local laws and direct funding of pervasively religious groups.

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Faith-Based Bill on the Precipice in Senate

The opportunity to enact the Bush Administration's faith-based initiative this year is nearly at end. Sens. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) have tried in vain to get a Unanimous Consent Agreement to bring their "Charity Aid, Recovery, and Empowerment Act" (CARE Act) up under special rules that would limit the amount of debate on the bill. Given the limited time left before Congress leaves for fall elections, about the only way the Senate will act on the CARE Act is under a Unanimous Consent Agreement.

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Why CARE?

Supporters of the Charity Aid and Recovery Act (CARE), which passed the Senate Finance Committee in June, are hoping Senate leaders can work out an agreement to bring the bill to the floor soon.

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Faith-Based Initiative Goes Political

The administration, along with the Republican Party, are increasingly looking at faith-based activities in political terms. A September 15 Washington Post story reported that White House Office on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives officials have appeared with Republican candidates in close races in six states and at a GOP sponsored meeting of religious groups in South Carolina that encouraged them to apply for federal funds.

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White House to Propose Regulations Implementing Faith-Based Agenda

According to a Washington Post story on August 31, the Bush administration does not plan to wait for Congress to pass the CARE Act before moving forward with proposed changes in regulations aimed at making it easier for faith-based groups to apply for and receive federal funds. The proposed regulations are to be completed by the end of this year. The White House Office on Faith Based and Community Initiatives will also host a series of conferences around the country, beginning in Atlanta on October 10. Details are not yet available.

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OMB Looking for Comments on New Federal Grant Procedures

We are collecting feedback for comments on these announcements. You can provide us with input through our online forum

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CARE Act, Faith-Based Initiative Update

Following a press conference sponsored by Americans for Community and Faith-Centered Enterprise and the Charitable Giving Coalition last Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) agreed to seek agreement on rules of debate so the CARE Act ( S. 1924) could go the Senate floor during the week of July 22. CARE Act sponsors Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) spoke at the press conference, and said they expect the bill to be considered before the August recess. However, several Senators have objected to floor debate unless amendments are allowed. Sen.

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The Coalition Against Religious Discrimination

Several religious, civil rights, labor, education, health and advocacy organizations wrote a letter to express their opposition to the "Charitable Choice" provisions in the Watts-Hall bill, H.R. 7. OPPOSE THE "CHARITABLE CHOICE" PROVISIONS IN THE WATTS-HALL BILL, H.R. 7 April 11, 2001 Dear Representative:

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