S5954 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE May 25, 1999 By Mr. NICKLES: SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND communities. And just last week, the S. 1116. A bill to amend the Internal Rev- SENATE RESOLUTIONS Senate approved a juvenile justice bill enue Code of 1986 to exclude income from the containing Charitable Choice for serv- transportation of oil and gas by pipeline The following concurrent resolutions from subpart F income; to the Committee on and Senate resolutions were read, and ices provided to at-risk juveniles, such Finance. referred (or acted upon), as indicated: as counseling for troubled youth. By Mr. LOTT (for himself, Mr. COCH- The Charitable Choice provision in By Mr. SPECTER: RAN, Mr. ROBB, and Mr. JEFFORDS): the 1996 welfare reform law was one S. Con. Res. 34. A concurrent resolution re- S. 1117. A bill to establish the Corinth Unit way to achieve the goal of inviting the of Shiloh National Military Park, in the vi- lating to the observance of ``In Memory'' Day; to the Committee on the Judiciary. greater participation of charitable and cinity of the city of Corinth, Mississippi, and faith-based organizations in providing in the State of Tennessee, and for other pur- f poses; to the Committee on Energy and Nat- services to the poor. The provision al- ural Resources. STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED lows charitable and faith-based organi- By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mrs. BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS zations to compete for contracts and FEINSTEIN, Mr. CHAFEE, Mr. GREGG, By Mr. ASHCROFT: voucher programs on an equal basis Mr. SANTORUM, and Mr. MOYNIHAN): S. 1113. A bill to amend title XXIV of with all other non-governmental pro- S. 118. A bill to amend the Agricultural viders when the state or local govern- Market Transition Act to convert the price the Revised Statutes, relating to civil support program for sugarcane and sugar rights, to prohibit discrimination ment chooses to use private sector pro- beets into a system of solely recourse loans against nongovernmental organiza- viders for delivering welfare services to to provide for the gradual elimination of the tions and certain individuals on the the poor under the Temporary Assist- program; to the Committee on Agriculture, basis of religion in the distribution of ance for Needy Families (TANF) pro- Nutrition, and Forestry. government funds to provide govern- gram. By Mr. BREAUX: In the past three years, we have ment assistance and the distribution of S. 1119. A bill to amend the Act of August begun to hear about how Charitable 9, 1950, to continue funding of the Coastal the assistance, to allow the organiza- Choice is opening doors for the govern- Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restora- tions to accept the funds to provide the ment and communities of faith to work tion Act; to the Committee on Environment assistance to the individuals without together to help our nation's poor and and Public Works. impairing the religious character of needy gain hope and self-sufficiency. By Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself, Mr. the organizations or the religious free- REED, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. BRYAN, For example, shortly after passage of dom of the individuals, and for other Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. the federal welfare law, Governor purposes; to the Committee on Govern- DODD, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. BIDEN, George Bush of Texas signed an execu- mental Affairs. Mr. SCHUMER, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. DUR- tive order directing ``all pertinent ex- BIN, and Mr. KERRY): CHARITABLE CHOICE EXPANSION ACT OF 1999 ecutive branch agencies to take all S. 1120 A bill to ensure that children en- Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, rolled in medicaid and other Federal means- necessary steps to implement the tested programs at highest risk for lead poi- America's best ideas for helping the `charitable choice' provision of the fed- soning are identified and treated, and for poor have come from grassroots com- eral welfare law.'' Cookman United other purposes; to the committee on Fi- munities and private organizations of Methodist Church, a 100 member parish nance. people who know and care about their in Philadelphia, received a state con- Mr. LEAHY: neighbors. These groups see people and tract to run its ``Transitional Journey S. 1121. A bill to amend the Clayton Act to their life experiences, not theories or enhance the authority of the Attorney Gen- Ministry,'' which provides life and job eral to prevent certain mergers and acquisi- statistics. We have known for years skills to welfare mothers and places tions that would unreasonably limit com- that government solutions have failed them into jobs with benefits. In less petition; to the Committee on the Judiciary. miserably in moving people from de- than a year, the church placed 22 wel- By Mr. STEVENS: pendency and despair to responsibility fare recipients into jobs. Payne Memo- S. 1122. An original bill making appropria- and independence. For years America's rial Outreach Center, an affiliate of a tions for the Department of Defense for the churches and charities have been lead- Baltimore church, has helped over 450 fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for ing the way in helping the poor achieve other purposes; from the Committee on Ap- welfare recipients find jobs under a propriations; placed on the calendar. dignity and self-sufficiency. This is state contract. By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. why I have been advocating that gov- In light of these success stories FRIST, Mr. ABRAHAM, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. ernment should find ways to help these around the nation, more and more JEFFORDS, and Mr. COVERDELL): organizations unleash the cultural states and counties are beginning to S. 1123. A bill to amend the Federal Food, remedy our society so desperately see what a critical role the faith-based Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve the safe- needs. community can play in helping people ty of imported food, and for other purposes; Therefore, it was with great interest to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, move off of welfare. They are eager to and Forestry. that I heard about Vice President put the Charitable Choice concept into By Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire (for GORE's statements Monday in Atlanta action in their communities. himself, Mr. FRIST, Mr. BOND, Ms. expressing his support for Charitable We have always known that Chari- LANDRIEU, Mr. ROBB, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. Choice. The Vice President's interest table Choice is truly bipartisan in na- BREAUX, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. HELMS, in Charitable Choice is welcome news. ture, and has the support of over 35 or- Mr. INHOFE, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. ED- Governor Bush is in the forefront of ganizations that span a wide political WARDS): Charitable Choice solutions. Truly, S.J. Res. 25. A joint resolution expressing and social spectrum. Members from the sense of Congress with respect to the where once there was contention and both sides of the aisle here in the Sen- court-martial conviction of the late Rear Ad- debate, there now is swelling bipar- ate have voted in support of this provi- miral Charles Butler McVay, III, and calling tisan agreement on the promise of sion. And now, with the Vice Presi- upon the President to award a Presidential Charitable Choice. dent's support for Charitable Choice, I Unit Citation to the final crew of the U.S.S. Congress has been in the forefront of am reintroducing legislation that I in- Indianapolis; to the Committee on Armed encouraging the type of faith-based so- troduced in the 105th Congress, the Services. lutions that the Vice President was By Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire (for ``Charitable Choice Expansion Act,'' promoting yesterday in Atlanta. The himself, Mr. FRIST, Mr. BOND, Ms. which would expand the Charitable LANDRIEU, Mr. ROBB, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. 1996 welfare reform law contains the Choice concept across all federally BREAUX, Mr.. TORRICELLI, Mr. HELMS, Charitable Choice provision I authored, funded social service programs. Mr. INHOFE, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ED- which encourages states to partner The substance of the Charitable WARDS, Mrs. BOXER, and Mr. INOUYE): with faith-based organizations to serve Choice Expansion Act is virtually iden- S.J. Res. 26. A joint resolution expressing welfare recipients with federal dollars. tical to that of the original Charitable the sense of Congress with respect to the Last fall, we expanded Charitable Choice provision of the welfare reform courtmartial conviction of the late Rear Ad- miral Charles Butler McVay, III, and calling Choice to cover services provided under law. The only real difference between upon the President to award a Presidential the Community Services Block Grant the two provisions is that the new bill Unit Citation to the final crew of the U.S.S. program, which provides funds to local covers many more federal programs Indianapolis; read the first time. agencies to alleviate poverty in their than the original provision. May 25, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE S5955 While the original Charitable Choice ``(d) EXCLUSIONS.ÐAs used in subsection vidual described in subsection (g)(3) on the provision applies mainly to the new (c), the term `program' does not include ac- basis of religion, a religious belief, a refusal welfare reform block grant program, tivities carried out underÐ to hold a religious belief, or a refusal to ac- the Charitable Choice Expansion Act ``(1) Federal programs providing education tively participate in a religious practice. to children eligible to attend elementary ``(2) INDIRECT FORMS OF DISBURSEMENT.ÐA applies to all federal government pro- schools or secondary schools, as defined in religious organization providing assistance grams in which the government is au- section 14101 of the Elementary and Sec- through a voucher certificate, or other form thorized to use nongovernmental orga- ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.