For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 8, 2001
President's Letter on "Armies of Compassion" Bill
Text of a Letter from the President to the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Republican Leader
November 7, 2001
Dear Mr. Leader:
Since September 11, Americans have come together to help meet our
national needs in this time of great crisis. They have given
more than $1 billion to disaster relief efforts and many Americans have
volunteered their time. Although individual generosity is evident
everywhere, thousands of our Nation's charities, paradoxically, have
been suffering. Donations to organizations not directly
involved in disaster relief have declined dramatically. Soup
kitchens are low on food. Mentoring programs for needy
children are low on dollars. America's charities have stood
by America -- it is now time for America to stand by her charities, as
they suffer from the economic consequences of September 11.
I believe the Congress must address these issues now. We
must pass and sign into law an "Armies of Compassion" bill this year
that encourages and supports charitable giving, removes unneeded
bar-riers to government support for community and faith-based groups,
and authorizes important initiatives to help those in
need. The House of Representatives has already advanced key
elements of this agenda, and Senators Santorum and Lieberman have made
great strides on consensus legislation. I believe the
Congress needs to come together before recess to consider a bill that
would:
Provide incentives for charitable giving,
such as the non-itemizers deduction for charitable contributions,
tax-free distributions from IRAs, the charitable deduction for
contributions of food, and Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) to
help low-income individuals save money;
Provide for equal treatment of community
and faith-based charities, an expedited process for grassroots groups
to become 501(c)(3) organizations, and a Compassion Capital Fund to
provide technical assistance and capacity building for community and
faith-based groups; and
Provide support to populations in need,
such as the more than 2 million children with a parent in prison.
As you know, there is strong bipartisan support for these important
measures. I hope that the Senate will find time to take up
and pass these provisions before the Congress adjourns this year.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
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