[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13633]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS ACT

  (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the well this morning in strong 
support of the Community Solutions Act that we will consider shortly 
today. As our President said just last week, we in Washington cannot 
make Americans love their neighbors, but we can make resources 
available to those who have a heart for service, but not a wallet. For 
too long official Washington has used strict legalism as their excuse 
for walking by on the other side of the road, denying recognition and 
assistance to the faith-based institutions who have been making a 
profound difference in the communities we serve for over 100 years.
  Mr. Speaker, the Community Solutions Act will bring this era of 
discrimination to an end. It will empower Americans and institutions of 
faith by increasing charitable giving through tax deductions, expanding 
charitable choice to allow religious organizations funds on an equal 
footing with non-religious institutions and other reforms.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 7 and let 
a new era of cooperation between public and private organizations that 
battle poverty and social maladies to begin.

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