Trump gives hope to Jewish push for FEMA aid to houses of prayer

Arutz Sheva ^ | September 12, 2017 | Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency

[2ndDivisionVet]

JTA - A tweet by President Donald Trump on Friday night, with Houston recovering from Hurricane Harvey and his sister Irma set to ravage Florida, is renewing hope among Jewish groups that have long advocated for emergency assistance to houses of worship.

“Churches in Texas should be entitled to reimbursement from FEMA Relief Funds for helping victims of Hurricane Harvey (just like others),” Trump said on Twitter, referring to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Attempts in the past two Congresses to extend FEMA protections to houses of worship had broad bipartisan support, but were stymied by the Obama administration’s concerns over church-state separation.

Jewish groups advocating for the change welcomed the change in tone.

Nathan Diament, the Washington director of the Orthodox Union, which has led advocacy for the policy change, said that Trump needed only to order the change; there was no statute barring emergency funds from going to houses of worship. Still, he said, including houses of worship as beneficiaries of FEMA assistance should be written into law.....

[JudgemAll]

I do not like government subsidizing any non profit

This is how we have liberals arguing Planned Parenthood is good anti cancer public service

[Sacajaweau]

Are you telling me that the churches don't have a cover all insurance policy?

Are they double dipping?

[spokeshave]

emergency assistance to houses of worship.

Never mind the mosques...they all built as military fortresses,

Not to much hurricane damage....could be some damp weapons in the underground bunker though.

[Ancesthntr]

“Churches in Texas should be entitled to reimbursement from FEMA Relief Funds for helping victims of Hurricane Harvey (just like others),” Trump said on Twitter,

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Uh, Trump isn’t subsiding them or paying for damage to their physical plant, he is talking about essentially having them decide on a series of relief measures in their immediate community, and reimbursing them. What these houses of worship are doing is, in essence, being just like First Responders. Instead of providing medical or police protection like actual First Responders, they are providing disaster relief instead of the FEMA people. I would think that this is what we want in our society, people on the ground in a particular area in which they are expert making decisions, rather than some government agency doing it for us.

[JesusIsLord]

FEMA aid to houses of prayer, JudgemAll wrote: I do not like government subsidizing any non profit

I fully agree!!

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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I believe the issue here is supporting religious based support to victims of disasters, which is a no brainer, not repairing damage to Churches.

[jjotto]

This concerns actual buildings that are houses of worship. It would place them on the same rebuild aid as a museum or zoo.

[JudgemAll]

What about eatablishment clause of religion/nonprofits? What if a mosque says it is entitled government funds?

No thanks, we are not a polytheicracy. They are not first responders much like Planned Parenthood’s “health works” should in no way grant them my speech being taxed for their own speech marketing department

[JudgemAll]

We already have the Catholic church is Lord and red cross lining their pockets for illegal alien “disaster relief”, so, yeah , this is a nightmare scenario