Asa Hutchinson: “I rise to enthusiastically applaud George W. Bush's community and faith-based initiative which he announced yesterday…”

“I rise to enthusiastically applaud George W. Bush's community and faith-based initiative which he announced yesterday and is emphasizing and talking about this week. It is a very exciting prospect that we have a President who recognizes the vast untapped potential of the charitable and faith-based sector and who wants to rally what he calls the ``armies of compassion'' to solve the deeper social problems and the deeper social challenges we face in this Nation. The government can do many things. Some of those things it does well, but there are many things government cannot do. It cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense of purpose in our lives. This is done by churches, synagogues, mosques, and charities that warm the cold of life. It is done by the faith-based sector in our society. I am pleased the President has established the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. By creating this office, we now will have a clearinghouse in the executive branch to point up where we have legislative and administrative barriers that have been erected to make it more difficult for people to encourage and support these faith-based initiatives.”