Workforce Investment Act Passes through Senate Committee Without Religious Discrimination Provision - October 6, 2003 Vol.4 No.20

October 6, 2003 Vol.4 No.20:

Published: 10/06/2003

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Workforce Investment Act Passes through Senate Committee Without Religious Discrimination Provision

Senate Committee ignores the House's version of the Workforce Investment Act and passes its own version.

The House’s Workforce Reinvestment and Adult Education Act gives approval to faith-based charities to discriminate based on religious affiliation when hiring staff for federal job training programs. The bill, H.R. 1261 removes Title VII language of the Civil Rights Act to allow religious discrimination in hiring for federal job-training programs. If H.R. 1261 becomes law it will be an unprecedented repeal of civil rights laws.

The Senate version, S. 1627 which has also been assigned to the HELP Committee was considered late Thursday night for a mark-up. The Senate bill does not have the language authorizing religious discrimination, as does the House bill. The Senate version will soon be debated on the Senate floor.

Strong constitutional objections to the House version have been raised by groups like the American Civil Liberties Union. OMB Watch sent a statement opposing religious discrimination and supporting legislation introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) in June that would to reinstate President Franklin Roosevelt’s historic Executive Order barring discrimination in hiring for government funded positions.

NOTE: This article serves as a correction for the "Reauthorization of Workforce Investment Act Allows Religious Discrimination in Hiring" article orginally printed on Oct. 6.