Bush Touts Success of Faith-Based Initiative

President Bush on Thursday (June 26) touted the successes of his initiative to partner faith-based and community organizations with government funds, calling it a key part of his presidency.

"I truly believe the faith-based initiative is one of the most important initiatives of this administration," Bush said in a keynote speech to some 1,100 clergy, government staffers and nonprofit leaders attending a national conference sponsored by the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives.

On Thursday, the White House announced that faith-based organizations won more than 3,200 grants in fiscal year 2007, totaling $2.2 billion of the $15.3 billion in grants awarded to nonprofits. The total amount of grants increased by 3.9 percent from $14.7 billion in the previous fiscal year.

"I am confident that the progress that you have made over the last eight years will continue," Bush said at the conference. "I'm confident because the movement is bigger than politics or any political party. This is not a political convention. This is a compassion convention. ... We care about saving lives."

Bush also highlighted the program earlier in the day at the annual National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast.

"I understand this: Government can hand out money but government cannot put hope in a person's heart," Bush said. "And oftentimes that is found in our faith community and our community organizations. And so we've lowered the barriers that kept government and faith-based groups needlessly divided."

Critics, however, continue to question the initiative's merits.

The Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the initiative should be "shut down, not celebrated."

At the Hispanic prayer breakfast, leaders from both parties referenced the debate over immigration. "The one thing I would like to say on Sen. (John) McCain's behalf is that this is an issue that needs to be solved, not demagogued," said Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C.