Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member for her work on this important legislation. In fact, you can't miss it. Above our flag here have the words ``In God We Trust.''

Really?

Our Nation's Founders rightly recognized that every human being has a natural right to religious liberty. This right is so important that, like I said, it is enshrined as the First Amendment to our Constitution.

When language was added to the CSBG program in 1998 to protect the religious character of faith-based organizations, Congress rightly recognized the importance of this fundamental right to religious liberty and the value that religious organizations add to our society. We need to stand by these principles today.

Unfortunately, Democrats do not believe it is important to respect the religious freedom of faith-based organizations to hire according to their religious beliefs or to display religious symbols like a Bible or the Star of David while serving low-income Americans through the CSBG program. The Democrats' removal of this important language--language that has been in the law for over two decades without causing harm to anyone--shines a spotlight on their intolerance of different viewpoints and beliefs.

My colleague from Michigan offered an amendment that would have taken the important and commonsense step to reinstate this longstanding language making clear that faith-based providers should be able to live out their faith while participating in the CSBG program. I was very disappointed that Democrats rejected this amendment during markup and refused to allow a floor vote on it.

All we are asking is that the deeply held religious beliefs of faith- based organizations continue to be accommodated under the law. This approach allows many different viewpoints to exist alongside one another in our diverse country, and it makes sure that faith-based organizations can continue to do the work they do so well, and that is, help low-income Americans.

Madam Speaker, faith-based organizations are important partners to provide vital services, and for this reason I oppose this bill.

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