[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 153 (Wednesday, November 7, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S11546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL


                        compassion capital fund

  Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise to inquire about the Compassion 
Capital Fund, which is funded in this bill at $89 million. As my 
colleagues know, this fund was requested by the President as part of 
his Faith-Based Initiative. This is a significant amount of money and I 
want to note that the Senate has not yet considered legislation 
authorizing various aspects of the President's Faith-Based Initiative, 
including provisions which might alter longstanding rules on government 
funding of religious organizations.
  Therefore, I would like to clarify several points with the chairman 
and ranking member of the subcommittee about the uses of these funds. 
It is my understanding that this fund is supposed to provide grants to 
organizations for the purpose of advising charitable organizations on 
expanding their operations effectively and providing guidance on how to 
emulate model social service practices. Am I correct on that point?
  Mr. HARKIN. The Senator is correct. The Compassion Capital Fund will 
provide grants to public/private partnerships to help charitable 
organizations develop ``best practices'' as a social service agency. 
The goal of grantees of the Compassion Capital Fund will be to improve 
the effectiveness of social programs and community initiatives around 
the Nation. The Senate has not yet debated the President's Faith Based 
Initiative, and the Senator is correct that this fund is only for the 
development of model best practices.
  Mr. SPECTER. I appreciate the chairman and Senator from Rhode Island 
for clarifying these points. It is important to note that this 
appropriations bill is not changing any of the rules or standards for 
government funding of religious organizations and we have funded the 
two programs in the President's Faith-Based Initiative that we believe 
are authorized.
  Mr. REED. I thank the chairman and the ranking member of the 
subcommittee for clarifying these points, and I look forward to working 
to further clarify this matter during the conference committee process.

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