Statement of Administration Policy: S. 557 - Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987

(House)
(Kennedy (D) Massachusetts and 57 others)

The Administration opposes S. 557, and the President's senior advisers would recommend that the President veto the bill if it is presented to him in its current form. The Administration urges that S. 557 be referred to the appropriate House committee to allow careful consideration of the fundamental revisions to the civil rights laws proposed by the bill.

S. 557 is particularly objectionable because of its vague language that vastly expands the jurisdiction under various Federal statutes of Federal agencies and courts over State and local governments, churches and synagogues, religious school systems, businesses of all sizes, and other elements of the private sector.

In response to the Supreme Court's decision in Grove City College v. Bell, the Administration, however, does support H.R. 1881 which would:

—     amend Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and three other civil rights laws (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title III of the Age Discrimination Act of 1975) to provide that for educational institutions, the antidiscrimination provisions of these laws apply to the entire institution when any "program or activity" receives Federal financial assistance;

—     include language that strengthens Title IX's exemption for certain religiously-based practices of educational institutions to include (in addition to institutions "controlled by" a religious organization) those which are "closely identified with the tenets of a religious organization"; and

—     state that the legislation would neither grant, secure nor deny any right concerning abortion, abortion-related services or funding thereof.