WASHINGTON (ABP) — The House of Representatives has turned back a last-ditch effort by Republicans to allow religious groups receiving Head Start funds to discriminate in hiring on the basis of faith.
On a mostly party-line vote of 222-195, the House on May 2 rejected an attempt to amend the bill reauthorizing the federal early-childhood education program.
The amendment would have changed longstanding Head Start rules by explicitly allowing churches and other groups receiving funds to take religion into account when hiring teachers and other employees.
Advocates of such rules argue that it violates the religious freedom of such social-service providers by expecting them to follow the same rules as secular groups. But many civil-rights groups and church-state separationists contend that it is equally wrong to allow federal dollars to fund job discrimination.
“Our principle is simple but deeply profound: no American, not one, should ever have to pass another American's private religious test to qualify for a tax-funded federal job,” said Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas), a Baptist, who spoke against the attempt to amend the bill.
But Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) said it is “grossly unfair” to churches that want to run Head Start programs. “[W]hy do we have to go to great lengths in this particular bill to stop people from doing that — to prevent churches and other faith-based institutions from operating Head Start programs unless they hire people from outside their church?” he asked. “I think frankly it violates the Constitution, and I'm strongly opposed to that practice.”
Republicans pushed the amendment after it was rejected at the committee level earlier this year.
In response, the Democrats — led by freshman Rep. Heath Shuler (N.C.) — pushed through an amendment clarifying that religious groups can participate in Head Start programs on an equal basis with secular groups.
Several religious organizations, including the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and the American Jewish Committee, opposed the Republican effort to protect job discrimination. The National Head Start Association — which represents more than 2,600 Head Start providers — likewise opposed the effort.
In recent years, GOP House leaders repeatedly attempted to alter federal social-service programs by adding similar language to a host of bills. While they often succeeded in the House, the Senate usually stymied their efforts.
Such provisions were an integral part of President Bush's faith-based initiative — an attempt to loosen the rules for churches and other religious charities seeking government funds for providing services to the public. While the initiative was largely a failure in Congress, Bush has implemented many of the changes necessary to implement it through executive orders.
The House's new Democratic leaders are generally opposed to such provisions, although some are supportive of the concept of making it easier for faith-based groups to receive tax dollars.
The bill is H.R. 1429, the “Improving Head Start Act of 2007.”
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Read more:
House panel rejects attempt to add faith-based hiring to Head Start (3/15)
House allows religious discrimination in reauthorizing Head Start program (9/22/2005)
House passes bill allowing discrimination as Bush reaffirms faith-based plan (3/4/2005)