[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 70 (Wednesday, June 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 2604, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND CHARITABLE DONATION 
                             PROTECTION ACT

  (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor and strong 
supporter of H.R. 2604, the Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation 
Protection Act. This legislation, which will be on the floor later 
today, will provide churches and charities with equal protection under 
this Nation's bankruptcy laws.
  Under current law, local churches and charities could be forced to 
return a contribution if the donor filed for bankruptcy. Imagine what 
would happen to the financial structure of one's church if a major 
donation made 11 months earlier and already spent was forced to be 
returned. Churches run on tight budgets and retroactively forcing them 
to return gifts is wrong. This practice might even be okay if we 
applied the same standard to restaurants, hotels or casinos, but we do 
not. Churches and charities are singled out.
  Mr. Speaker, right now our bankruptcy code places casinos above 
churches. This is wrong, and I look forward to passage of H.R. 2604 
later today.

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