Palm Beach, FL, February 7, 2002 …The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called a new version of President Bush's faith-based initiative a "welcome improvement" over previous drafts of the bill. The League noted, however, that the measure still warrants close scrutiny concerning provisions that could permit religious indoctrination and employment discrimination in the delivery of an expanded range of government-funded social services.

Reacting to introduction of the new initiative at ADL's National Executive Committee Meeting in Palm Beach, FL, Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, and Glen A. Tobias, ADL National Chairman, issued the following statement:

The "compromise" faith-based measure introduced today to promote charitable giving is a welcome improvement over the seriously flawed "charitable choice" bill approved by the House of Representatives last July.

President Bush has demonstrated leadership and flexibility in brokering this compromise. Clearly, the efforts that ADL and a broad coalition of religious, civil rights, and civic organizations have made to point out the need for both constitutional safeguards and protection against employment discrimination in the delivery of government-funded social service have registered with the White House and Members of Congress.

We especially welcome provisions in this measure that encourage individual taxpayers to contribute to charitable organizations, including faith-based charities, by providing a tax deduction. We applaud the fact that this measure steers the debate toward one that celebrates and amplifies the American tradition of private charity and personal faith and away from government entanglements with religious service organizations.

While many of the most disturbing portions of the House-passed bill have been eliminated, we will continue to closely track this measure as it is taken up by Congress and press for more explicit protections against employment discrimination and for the separation of church and state as the bill moves forward.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.