Fifty-plus groups ask Obama to clarify position on ‘federally funded employment discrimination’

[chill_wind]

Fifty-plus groups ask Obama to clarify position on ‘federally funded employment discrimination’
By Ashley Lopez | 09.20.11 |


Fifty-six organizations sent a letter to President Obama yesterday asking him to clarify his position on the ability of publicly funded institutions to hire or fire people based on their religion.

Catholics for Choice and 55 other religious, civil rights, labor and health groups sent a letter (.pdf) to Obama asking him to comment on remarks he made “at a town hall meeting on July 22 in College Park, MD,” according to the group’s press release.

The groups took issue with a the president suggesting “that he supports allowing religious organizations to hire and fire employees in federally funded positions based upon the employee’s religion”:

This statement is in direct contradiction to comments he made while campaigning for the presidency. In 2008, candidate Obama avowed that he “firmly believes in the principle of non-discrimination in our hiring laws…. ” He even reiterated that “taxpayer dollars should not be used to support hiring discrimination and religious organizations that receive federal dollars cannot discriminate with respect to hiring for government-funded social service programs—just like any other federal contractor.”

more:
http://floridaindependent.com/48256/obama-employment-discrimination-religion

Full letter to Pres Obama with the signatories:

http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/news/pr/2011/documents/2011-9-19LettertoPresidentObamaFINAL.pdf