U.S. Rep. Seeks To Make ‘Faith-Based’ Outreach Permanent

Mark Green, a Republican from Wisconsin, has introduced a bill to the U.S. House of Representatives that would make the White House "faith-based" office a permanent institution. It would also make faith-based offices in 10 federal agencies permanent.

BeliefNet reports:

The offices were created to promote government partnerships with faith-based and community organizations in providing publicly funded social services. Bush argued faith-based groups had been discriminated against by federal grant programs.

Green praised the efforts of faith-based and community-oriented groups in combating problems such as substance abuse, homelessness and youth violence. “This initiative is about serving people in the most effective way,” Green said, noting that the groups are “reaching out not to further their ideology, but to help their neighbor.”

Americans United explains:

Green’s press secretary told The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy that the bill “gives assurance” that the faith-based offices “will stay in place after Bush leaves office. It ensures that under future administrations, the Office will stay.”

The bill also mandates that a director will be appointed to the office and lays out a long list of “responsibilities,” including working “to eliminate improper Federal barriers so as to allow faith-based and community entities to compete for Federal funding.”

The faith-based offices were established by executive fiat — President Bush wasn’t able to achieve what he wanted through standard legislative channels, so he went ahead to act on his own without support from others. Now, some of those who were unable to enact legislation to create faith-based offices are looking for legislation to ensure that future presidents don’t act in a similar manner to take away those offices.

Interesting, isn’t it? Such acts are acceptable when Bush creates such offices, but not acceptable when another president eliminates such offices. Republicans like Green are, it appears, politicians without principle.

Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Church and State News
• Faith-Based Programs
• Secularism 101