Improving the Community Services Block Grant Act of 2003

IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT ACT OF 2003 -- (House of Representatives - February 04, 2004)

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak out in opposition to H.R. 3030, a bill to reauthorize and amend the Community Service Block Grant program. While I strongly support the social services and organizations that these grants help support, this bill does not correct current law, which explicitly allows religious organizations that receive federal funds from the Community Service Block Grant Act to discriminate in their hiring. Instead, I support the amendment offered by my colleagues, Representatives LYNN WOOLSEY, GEORGE MILLER, and others, which would prohibit discrimination in hiring based on religion.

Americans share a fundamental value that we must never discriminate on the basis of religion. Unlike other ideologies, our Constitution specifically protects religion in the first amendment of the Bill of Rights. Yet, H.R. 3030 says federal funds can, in fact, be used to discriminate against someone who may not share the same religion as that practiced by the organization receiving funds. We must not allow our taxpayer dollars to support discrimination.

The fact is that religious organizations have been providing secular social services, such as Meals on Wheels, adult literacy programs, homeless shelters and job-training programs, to people in this country for decades. And, in cases where federal funds are involved, these religious organizations have willingly done so without discriminating in their hiring. We must not go down a road where discrimination of any kind is allowed with federal money.

I urge my colleagues to vote "no" on H.R. 3030 and "yes" on amendments that prohibit religious discrimination.

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