September 16, 2004 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Churches and other sectarian groups are receiving a growing number of federal social-service grants thanks to President Bush, even without the passage of legislation his administration has sought in order to steer additional government money to such organizations, says a new report.
Through changes in federal rules, government-sponsored conferences to teach religious charities how to apply for grants, and other means, the president has broadened the types of programs open to religious groups, according to the report by the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, a group in Albany, N.Y., supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Projects carried out by religious groups with federal funds now range from “building strip malls for economic improvement to promoting child car seats to distributing Medicare prescription cards,” the report says.
The publication examines the White House’s efforts to increase federal support for religious charities at the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Labor.
While these efforts have been relatively well publicized, the report also details lesser-known attempts in other parts of the administration:
- The U.S. Agency for International Development has proposed letting sectarian international-aid groups maintain their religious nature by allowing them to display religious icons or symbols in the facilities in which they provide help to refugees and other people.
- The Department of Veteran Affairs now allows recipients of its grants aimed at helping homeless veterans to follow their religious views when making hiring decisions.
- The Small Business Administration this year solicited grant applications from religious nonprofit groups for its Women’s Business Center program, which help poor women start their own businesses.
Other federal entities that have increased their collaborations with religious groups due to the White House effort are the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Social Security Administration.
Even several quasi-public organizations — those established by the federal government but operating independently of it — are reaching out to sectarian charities, the report says. For example, since 2002 the mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have worked with more religious groups to expand homeownership among minorities.
The report, “Expanding the Administrative Presidency: George W. Bush and the Faith-Based Initiative,” is available free on the Roundtable’s Web site at http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org or by contacting the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, 411 State Street, Albany, N.Y. 12203; (518) 443-5014; fax: (518) 443-5705; e-mail: sarnoffa@rockinst.org.
