Bush Pushes Faith-Based Initiative Without New Authority - August 23, 2004 Vol.5, No.17

August 23, 2004 Vol.5, No.17:

Published: 08/23/2004

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Bush Pushes Faith-Based Initiative Without New Authority

The absence of new legislative authority has not deterred the Bush administration from using its executive powers to widely implement its Faith-Based Initiative throughout the federal government. That is the finding of a new report by the Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy documents.

Among the report's findings:

President Bush has aggressively advanced his Faith-Based Initiative through executive orders, rule changes, and managerial realignment in federal agencies.
He has overseen the creation of a high-profile special office in the White House on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which has connections in ten government agencies, each with a director and staff, to advance the efforts to win more financial support for faith-based social services.
These federal agencies have proposed or created a host of new regulations that mark a major change in the doctrine of separation of church and state.
Increased uncertainty about the full extent of federal funding about faith-based social services.