Faith-based plan scaled back, no longer allows ‘equal treatment’

The chief Senate sponsor of President Bush’s “faith based” initiative has removed its most controversial elements in hopes of gaining wider support.

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., agreed March 27 to remove language from the CARE Act that would have allowed “equal treatment” for religious charities that receive government funding and permitted them to use religious criteria in personnel decisions.

The scaled-back bill now contains only tax incentives for charitable giving and increased federal aid for social service groups. This is the second time that Santorum has agreed to trim the original plan.

“I would have liked to have gotten the whole enchilada, but in the United States Senate this year, you’re lucky to get anything, and I’ll take anything,” Santorum said, according to the Associated Press.

The bill is a dramatic step back from the plan originally presented by Bush two years ago. That bill, which would have allowed religious groups to sidestep anti-discrimination laws and preserve their religious identity, passed the House but remained stalled in the Senate. Santorum said the bill could face a vote in the full Senate as soon as next week. He said he has assurances from House Republicans that they will not try to revive the old bill.

(RNS)