August 10, 2000 | Read Time: 2 minutes
By GRANT WILLIAMS
The Republican Party and its presidential nominee, Governor George W. Bush, are pledging to commit themselves to “aiding and encouraging the work of charitable and
faith-based organizations,” which the Republicans say are “making great strides in overcoming poverty and other social problems” and “bringing new hope into millions of lives.”
The statement is part of the G.O.P.’s platform, which was adopted by delegates to the Republican nominating convention in Philadelphia.
Most of the document’s provisions affecting charities have long been promoted by Mr. Bush himself in his campaign (The Chronicle, April 6).
Chief among them: Changing federal law and regulations to explicitly allow religious organizations to compete for money to provide services in every federal social program without impairing the groups’ religious character. In 1996, Congress passed such a provision in a welfare-overhaul law, but the platform endorses Mr. Bush’s view that the legislation did not go far enough.
“We support his plans to unbar the gates of the government ghetto, inviting into the American dream those who are now in its shadows and using the dedication and expertise of faith communities to make it happen,” the document says.
‘An Outpouring of Giving’
The platform also embraces Mr. Bush’s proposal to “encourage an outpouring of giving” by allowing people who do not itemize deductions on their federal income-tax returns to write off charitable gifts.
The G.O.P. platform supports the Texas governor’s idea of allowing donors to give money to charity directly from their individual retirement accounts without incurring taxes. In addition, the party wants to promote corporate giving by increasing the annual limit on charitable deductions that companies can take and by limiting the liability of businesses that contribute equipment and other in-kind donations.
The Republican document makes an indirect reference to a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Boy Scouts of America’s right to reject homosexual leaders (The Chronicle, July 13).
Without referring to the court or its ruling, the document simply says: “We support the First Amendment right of freedom of association and stand united with private organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, and support their positions.”
A copy of the platform statement can be found on the 2000 Republican National Convention Web site, http://gopconvention.com.
