Job Training Improvement Act of 2005

JOB TRAINING IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 02, 2005)

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Scott amendment, which seeks to strike important protections for religious organizations included in the bill.

I am frankly appalled at the scale of the rhetoric being presented by the minority party on this issue. We know that many religious organizations in our hometowns and across America provide invaluable job training services in our communities. We must help religious organizations, whether they be churches, synagogues, or mosques, maintain their integrity while continuing to provide these vital services to those in need.

This debate is about whether a religious organization should have the ability to select employees who share common values and sense of purpose. This is not saying that they will not hire people of other religions but we will not force them to do so. This is a vital criterion for all organizations, especially religious ones. A secular group, such as Planned Parenthood or the Sierra Club, that receives government money, is currently free to hire based on their ideology and mission but still use Federal funds in accordance with the terms of the program. How can we allow this for groups such as these and not allow it for groups that are religious by nature?

Others who oppose these hiring protections for religious organizations talk about discrimination. The only discrimination that would take place here is if we do not include these protections. Without them we would be discriminating against religious organizations just because they are religious. Religious organizations should be allowed to apply for the same amount of government money for services they provide that nonreligious organizations do. If we deny them these protections, many of them would have to compromise their missions or not apply at all for assistance in implementing these services.

The real question here should be, do we want to be telling religious organizations whom they can hire and cannot hire? No. Nowhere in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does it state that a faith-based organization loses its rights if it accepts Federal funds.

Our Nation was founded by those fleeing religious persecution and seeking religious freedom. For us to forget that and to place restrictions of this sort on our churches is contrary to the very foundation of this great Nation. I implore each and every one of my colleagues to take a long hard work at what message we would be sending to oppressed people across the globe if we do not include these important protections for religious organizations.

If we approve this amendment, we could be seriously damaging the integrity and mission of these faith-based institutions that only seek to serve our communities.

I urge the Members to oppose this amendment and support these important protections for religious organizations that want to provide job training services to our communities.

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