USCCB decries Biden administration’s proposed changes to federal grant agreements
December 07, 2023
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CWN Editor's Note: The Office of the General Counsel of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops warned that the Biden administration’s proposed changes to guidance on federal grant agreements would elevate contested interpretations of federal law on sexual orientation and gender identity over constitutional rights such as free speech and religious liberty.
The proposed changes are “arbitrary and capricious from top to bottom,” the USCCB warned. They are “arbitrary and capricious for deleting, without explanation, references to free speech, religious liberty, public welfare, and the environment ... The deletion of references to free speech and religious liberty is especially concerning.”
“In sum, the proposed changes ... would be reasonably interpreted to mean that OMB [the Office of Management and Budget] cares about prohibiting SOGI [sexual orientation and gender identity] discrimination more than discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, disability, or any other class protected under federal law; more than promoting the public welfare or protecting the environment; and more than preventing unlawful suppression of free speech or religious exercise,” the USCCB continued.
“It is common for Catholic ministries to partner with the government in their efforts to serve those most in need,” the USCCB added. The proposed changes would “chill Catholic entities’ participation in federal programs, potentially depriving the intended beneficiaries of those programs of the excellent care and service that Catholic ministries provide.”
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Dec. 07, 2023 11:27 AM ET USA
"It is common for Catholic ministries to partner with the government". If you dance with the devil, why would you expect him to treat you justly and without exploitation for political ends? It was a dark day when the Church made the dreadful mistake of handing over her mission for corporal works of mercy to government. Our duty should be to protest an unjust tax system and insist that we recover our lost revenues by returning charitable works to where they most belong: private subsidiarity.
