House Republican leaders postponed a vote on Bush’s “faith-based” funding proposal due to continued opposition by Democrats and moderate Republicans to federal funding of organizations with discriminatory hiring practices. The debate centers on a 1964 law that exempted religious groups from anti-discrimination employment laws. After a leaked Salvation Army memo revealed that their public support of the “charitable choice” bill (including advertising of $80,000 per month) came in exchange for an understanding that it would allow discriminatory hiring practices against gays, House Republican Mark Foley (FL) proposed an amendment that would require “faith-based” charities to comply with state and local civil rights laws. Republican House leaders oppose the amendment. A vote is scheduled for later today.
Update: The House approved the bill on 7/20/01 by a narrow margin.
