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January 29, 2001 Jewish Community’s Public Affairs Arm Praises Bush for Focusing Attention on Community Needs, Protections Needed Against Religious Discrimination NEW YORK, Jan. 29— Hannah Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs released the following statement regarding establishment of a White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives: "President Bush took an important step this week by focusing the nation’s attention on the alarming needs of millions of Americans who are battling homelessness, hunger, poverty and addiction. All members of society must recognize the tremendous need to expand programs in our communities that help the most vulnerable among us." While President Bush deserves praise for recognizing the good work of many organizations, including religious groups, his solution, which includes expanding support for charitable choice measures, leaves us with many concerns. These measures would permit religious institutions to receive direct government funding for on-site services without requiring essential measures to safeguard First Amendment constitutional protections and prevent religious discrimination. President Bush’s plan would allow pervasively sectarian government contractors to discriminate in hiring for government-funded programs based upon religious belief. In addition clients would face religious coercion or indoctrination as they receive services in a pervasively sectarian environment, replete with religious symbols and literature from religious workers whose primary mission may be to promote religious belief and practice. Before the Bush plan moves forward, delicate yet profoundly important safeguards need to be in place. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs remains steadfastly opposed to any charitable choice scheme that does not contain meaningful and effective First Amendment safeguards such as those that prevent proselytization, coercion or indoctrination and that protect clients and service provider employees against religiously-based discrimination. We will work to convince President Bush that even as his priorities are in the right place, his solutions are misguided. And we will work tirelessly to ensure that Congress stands firm against all threats to religious freedom." ### JCPA is the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community that serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 13 national and 123 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations. |
