Infrastructure funds cannot be used to improve their facilities.
The Build Back Better social infrastructure plan of the administration’s agenda and the majority in Congress includes a provision that specifically prohibits religious schools from using infrastructure grants to improve their facilities.
The bill, which Speaker Pelosi hopes to vote on yet this week, includes a provision that provides infrastructure grants to improve child care safety, specifically to help child care providers “acquire, construct, or renovate or improve” their facilities. However, further down in the bill’s text, it includes a prohibition against religious organizations like churches and synagogues that also have school or child care services from using funds to improve their facilities.
Grant recipients, the bill states, “may not use the funds for modernization, renovation or repair of facilities that are primarily used for sectarian instruction or religious worship.”
Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania offered an amendment to strike that provision, called the Religious Freedom Amendment, but it failed during the Ways and Means Committee’s markup in September.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For members of Congress as they consider this legislation that restricts funding to faith-based organizations.
- For wisdom for legislators as they debate other provisions in the Build Back Better Act.
- For informed and wise voting by members of the House of Representatives when the Build Back Better Act is voted upon.
Sources: Fox News, The Hill
