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| -Land of the Free |
| Congress' budget deal affirms church access to FEMA disaster aid |
| 2018-02-12 |
| [Wash Times] Churches for decades have had to fend for themselves when hurricane winds ripped off the chapel roof while the nonprofit YMCA next door ‐ because it’s not religious ‐ pocketed Federal Emergency Management Agency payments to repair similar damage to its building. That treatment of houses of worship was written out of U.S. law last week. A provision tucked into the budget deal that President Trump signed into law Friday put churches on equal footing with YMCA, senior centers and other nonprofit groups when it comes to FEMA disaster relief. The Bipartisan Budget Act made churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship permanently eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program grants, which can pay for the removal of debris and repairs to buildings, parks and recreational facilities owned by nonprofits. "Congress has delivered a big victory for houses of worship," said Diana Verm, legal counsel at the nonprofit religious liberty law firm Becket that represented Texas churches and Florida synagogues last year in challenging the FEMA policy. "This is a happy ending for a long story for houses of worship responding to disasters." |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #3 Strong signal Christians are not blacklisted. Except at Target. Does that buy votes? No but it does point out the relief track records. My own observation, Churches are far more effective, efficient that Federal DNC Unions. |
| Posted by: Woodrow 2018-02-12 13:27 |
| #2 It isn't just evangelicals. There are plenty of denominations that will bend over backwards to avoid offending you in any way. You may not get a lot of religious fervor there, maybe a cup of coffee and a donut. But the Gospel is there if you look for it. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2018-02-12 09:37 |
| #1 "This is a happy ending for a long story for houses of worship responding to disasters." Buying the evangelical vote. (is that too cynical?) |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2018-02-12 07:47 |