Washington Watch

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Charitable Choice revived; one aid measure
advances, another stalls; law of the letter.

JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent

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resident George W. Bush's
plan to make it easier for
religious groups to get gov-
ernment money to provide
services, proclaimed dead only a few
weeks ago, was resurrected last week
when the House Judiciary Committee
approved a compromise version of the
most controversial element of the plan.
GOP leaders say the compromise
provides more protections against the
improper use of government money
for things like proselytizing.
But opponents, including many
Jewish leaders, say the version passed
by the Judiciary Committee is even
worse than the original bill.
Last week's action involved only the
"charitable choice" portions of the
broad faith-based bill. Those provi-
sions will drastically scale back restric-
tions on how religious groups can use
government money.
Other parts of the package, including
tax breaks to encourage charitable giving,
will be taken up separately by the Ways
and Means Committee later this month.
The measure "offers hope to tens of
millions of people at risk, including 15
million children," Bush said in a state-
ment after the committee approved it
on a party line vote.
Jewish church-state groups were
singing a different tune.
Michael Lieberman, Washington
counsel for the Anti-Defamation League,
which opposes charitable choice plans,
said that in the original bill clients who
didn't want a religion-tinged service had
a right to a secular alternative. "The bill
approved by the Judiciary Committee
drops the requirement for a secular alter-
native; instead, it just requires an alterna-
tive that is 'unobjectionable to the indi-
vidual on religious grounds.'"
That change, he said, eliminates
one more layer of protection. Before
you had a right to a secular alternative;
now you don't." The measure would
also allow religious groups participat-
ing under charitable choice programs
to discriminate in hiring.
GOP leaders say that just reflects
existing policy in which religious
groups are allowed certain exemptions
from civil rights laws.
Lieberman disagreed, saying the pro-

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posal would allow such discrimination
using government, not private, money.
Orthodox groups, which are among
the Bush program's original support-
ers, dismiss those concerns, saying the
modified measure should allay many
of the church-state concerns.
Under the measure clients "will be
entitled to take secular services from
faith-based providers, and opt out of
any religious part," said Nathan
Diament, director of the Orthodox
Union's Institute for Public Affairs. "It
requires that faith-based providers seg-
ment their programs more clearly, so
there will be a clearer separation of the
religious and secular components."
House leaders hope to pass the
measure, sponsored by Rep. J.C.
Watts, R-Okla., and Rep. Tony Hall,
D-Ohio, by the end of the month.
But things will be much tougher in
the Democrat-controlled Senate.
"The Republicans are talking about a
bipartisan bill, but so far they're just
negotiating amongst themselves," said a
leading Jewish activist.

One Aid Measure Advances...

Ina rare glimmer of good news for
Israel, Congress is moving forward
with.a foreign aid bill that includes
$2.7 billion in economic and military
aid for Jerusalem — and a symbolic
slap at Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
The good news apparently doesn't
extend to a request for an extra $800
million in military aid. And the con-
gressional poke at Arafat may have lit-
tle practical impact because of wide
presidential waiver authority.
Last week, the House foreign opera-
tions appropriations subcommittee
approved $15.2 billion in foreign
assistance, an increase of $2 billion
over last year's overall levels. That's
good news for pro-Israel activists who
traditionally worry that Israel's aid is
an expanding piece of a shrinking pie.
The measure also includes $60 mil-
lion for the resettlement of refugees in
Israel.
Another provision prohibits U.S. assis-
tance to the International Committee of
the Red Cross unless the White House
certifies that "the Mogen David Society
of Israel is not being denied participation
in the activities of the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement."