Groups Question Implementation of Faith-Based Initiative
by Amanda Adams*, 11/14/2007
OMB Watch is a part of the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination, which has asked the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to investigate the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, requesting an oversight hearing. The letter is a result of numerous developments including a recommendation by the Justice Department posted last month that suggests faith-based organizations should be exempt from the employment nondiscrimination rules attached to some federal grants.
The coalition's Nov. 2 letter to Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) chairman of the committee states: "Although many of our organizations support the involvement of faith-based organizations in the delivery of social services, we remain concerned that the Administration's efforts and policies may have crossed the line in a way that harms vulnerable beneficiaries, houses of worship and the civil rights of employees who are paid with public funds."
For more information, see this article from The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy.
