Democratic Leaders Condemn Trump Administration Move to Allow Discrimination in Foster Care

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) and Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) released the following statement regarding the Trump Administration's decision to allow foster care entities to allow foster care placement agencies to discriminate using federal funds:

"Through today's decision, the Trump administration is endorsing discrimination by giving taxpayer money to foster care entities that discriminate against foster parents based on religious beliefs. Even worse, this waiver allows the foster care system to engage in discrimination that ignores the best interests of our most vulnerable children and exacerbates the shortage of qualified foster parents.

"We must reject all attempts to discriminate based on race, religion, or any other protected class. But for a taxpayer-funded organization to deny children a loving home based on religious beliefs is a particularly egregious violation of a fundamental American principle."

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