A summary of recent events relating to the Administration's Faith-Based Initiative In the opening skirmish of what is likely to be a protracted battle, the American Jewish Congress has filed suit seeking a permanent injunction against implementation of a state-funded job-training program in California that is open only to faith-based service providers. This suit comes on the heels of a confirmation by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that an HIV and drug abuse prevention program funded by HHS has also been restricted to faith-based groups. One of the Bush administration's primary reasons for calling for "Charitable Choice" initiatives, which would allow for direct federal funding of religious congregations' social service activities, was to "level the playing field" for religious and non-religious social service providers. The HHS grant program proves this is indeed not the case, and the government is prepared to tread on constitutionally dangerous ground by favoring faith-based service providers. It is unconscionable that the federal government favor service providers based on any factor other than results. Despite claims to the contrary from the administration, there is no empirical evidence that faith based service providers are any more effective than secular providers. (In 1998, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reported that there is no evidence that faith based groups are more effective than secular social service providers.) For the federal government to favor the services of faith based organizations over secular providers is a direct affront to the Constitution and the many secular nonprofits that work hard to help those in need. Charitable Choice Shelved in the Senate Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), the chief Republican sponsor of Bush's charitable choice initiative, has told the New York Times that he plans on delaying indefinitely the introduction of legislation allowing for the direct federal funding of religious congregations' social service activities. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), who was supposed to be the Democratic co-sponsor of the legislation has declined to do so, saying that the White House isn't "directly confronting the most difficult Constitutional problems." A separate bill (S. 592), sponsored by Santorum and Lieberman contains some of the charitable giving provisions that Bush has called for (including a non-itemizer tax deduction for charitable contributions and tax-free IRA rollovers to charities), but does not contain charitable choice. Based on the size of the tax cut passed this weekend, however, it is unknown where the money for these giving incentives would come from.