Antigay provisions of the Faith-Based Initiative ( HR 7 ) that caused so much controversy in the House are likely to be taken out in the Senate. Rick Santorum ( R-Penn. ) , a conservative and leading proponent of the legislation in the Senate, agreed on Aug. 1 that the contentious provision should be stripped from the bill.
The concern is that the language would gut state and local civil-rights protections for gays and others. It would allow religious groups to discriminate in hiring people to run social service programs when using federal, state, and local funds for those programs.
Rep. Barney Frank ( D-Mass. ) had argued vigorously, both in committee and on the floor of the House, that the legislation would preempt state and local rights laws with a blanket religious exemption when it comes to hiring.
It may be one thing to discriminate using private money, but "federal tax dollars should not be used to actively discriminate" against Americans, said Winnie Stachelberg, political director of the Human Rights Campaign.
Santorum said it should be left to the courts to decide when and where religious organizations must comply with or be exempt from state and local law. In agreeing to drop the religious exemption, he said, "Either the organization decides not to take the funds, or they go to court and the court decides."
In debate on the floor of the House Rep. J.C. Watts ( R-Okla. ) , the lead sponsor of HR 7, promised to "more clearly address this matter in conference" with the Senate. So the way appears cleared for resolving the issue.
Meanwhile, Sen. Joe Lieberman ( D-Conn. ) , a key supporter of the concept of the faith-based approach to social services, is considering his own version of legislation. It would address concerns of exemption from state and local laws, and perhaps other issues that have caused many liberals to criticize the approach.
Stachelberg was "pleased" to hear Santorum say that their concerns would be addressed, calling it "a step in the right direction." She saw Lieberman's stance as "a cautious negotiating approach" that leaves options open should his issues not be addressed.
But as always, there are "any number of details and nuances." Stachelberg wants "to see the language" before the organization will change its position of opposition to HR 7. She is urging members of the community to continue to contact their Senators expressing concern that HR 7 would gut state and local laws.
"If federal funds are to be made available to religious organizations in order to address societal problems, they must be made available to ALL religious organizations," the Rev. Elder Troy D. Perry said in a letter sent to churches of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches ( UFMCC ) after the House passed HR 7.
He has instructed the UFMCC national staff to begin to prepare resources and materials to assist local MCC congregations and regional groups in applying for faith-based grants when the program is finalized. Perry mentioned MCC programs dealing with HIV, at-risk GLBT youth, and the homeless, among others, as likely to qualify for support.
