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Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 7, which contains
key elements of the President's agenda to expand charitable giving,
to strengthen faith-based and other neighborhood-serving groups, and
to help them better serve Americans in need.
H.R.
7 would stimulate more charitable giving through a number of tax
incentives, including a provision allowing non-itemizers a deduction
for their charitable donations and another provision permitting
charitable contributions from IRAs without penalty. These and other
incentives are consistent with the President's objective to promote
charitable giving across the Nation and to provide relief to taxpayers
making contributions to charitable programs. The Administration
will work with Congress to make these incentives as robust as possible.
H.R.
7 would also support faith-based and community organizations in
their vital efforts to help needy Americans by extending existing
charitable choice principles of neutrality, evenhandedness, and
nondiscrimination to additional programs, and letting civic-minded
religious charities partner with the Government to deliver Government-funded
social services through those programs. Such programs provide needed
services in such areas as crime prevention, drug prevention, hunger
relief, domestic violence, and assistance to the elderly. The bill
would reinforce and build on the Government's commitment to support
effective community-serving groups, both sacred and secular, that
are achieving strong civic purposes -- groups that are striving
to tackle, and conquer, many of our Nation's seemingly most intractable
social problems. In addition, the bill would authorize the Department
of Justice to provide much needed training and technical assistance
funds to equip small community-serving groups with skill-building
support to help ensure that they are as effective as possible. The
Administration commends the House on this legislation that strikes
a careful balance: widening options for beneficiaries while also
protecting their religious liberties and civil rights as well as
the religious character of the service providers.
The
Administration applauds the Congress' support for IDAs and commitment
to the concept. The Administration had proposed an expansion through
a different mechanism in its budget. The Administration will continue
to work to achieve meaningful expansion of the government's commitment
to IDAs. The Administration looks forward to working with Congress
through the legislative process to achieve a result that best embodies
the objectives of the President's plan.
Pay-As-You-Go
Scoring
Any
law that would reduce receipts is subject to the pay-as-you-go requirements
of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act. Accordingly,
H.R. 7, or any substitute amendment in lieu thereof that would also
reduce revenues, will be subject to the pay-as-you-go requirement.
The Administration will work with Congress to ensure that any unintended
sequester of spending does not occur under current law or the enactment
of any other proposals that meet the President's objectives to reduce
the debt, fund priority initiatives, and grant tax relief to all
income tax paying Americans.
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