House Vote on Jobs Act Would Codify Religious Discrimination, Opponents Await Senate Vote On March 3, the House approved H.R. 27, the Job Training Improvement Act, which would allow publicly funded religious agencies to hire and fire workers based on their religious beliefs. A coalition of organizations had urged the House to reject the bill unless it was amended to ensure that workers could not be discriminated against on religious grounds in federally supported social service programs.

On March 2, Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) formally introduced the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act (H.R. 235). The bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow religious organizations to endorse or oppose candidates and engage in partisan activity as long as it is part of a religious event. Currently, all 501(c)(3) organizations, including houses of worship, are prohibited from intervening in elections. Supporters of the bill claim religious leaders are afraid to speak out on political issues.

OMB Watch Comments on the Work Group Recommendations to the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector (as posted for public comment on January 24, 2005) Submitted January 28, 2005 These comments on the “Work Group Recommendations” are submitted by OMB Watch, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting government accountability and citizen participation in public policy decisions. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the recommendations.