Faith Based Groups May Receive Compensation for Hurricane Relief
COOPER: Welcome back. We're live in Biloxi, Mississippi. You know, it ought to come as no surprise that Katrina and Rita have triggered an outpouring of help from individuals and private organizations, much of it from groups affiliated with religious organizations. This is America, which means that whether it's a local mosque or the Salvation Army, there is a great and good tradition of lending a hand. There's another tradition as well: keeping an eye on what happens when the federal government enters the picture, and it has this time. Big-time. Here's CNN's Tom Foreman.</s>TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ever since Katrina, church groups have been pouring assistance into the south: food, water, shelter, school, and medical supplies.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The medications are in there.</s>FOREMAN: The St. Vincent De Paul society of Baton Rouge has helped 50,000 storm victims like Clifford White.</s>CLIFFORD WHITE, STORM VICTIM: I do appreciate it. Believe me, I do appreciate it.</s>FOREMAN: And the unprecedented effort has drained the church group's bank account.</s>MICHAEL J. ACALDO, SOCIETY OF ST.  VINCENT DE PAUL: We just took a leap of faith that donations would be forthcoming, which they have been. But there's so much service that's needed.</s>FOREMAN: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is pressing for even more private assistance.</s>MICHAEL BROWN, FORMER FEMA DIRECTOR: And in my opinion it's the responsibility of faith-based organizations, of churches and charities and others, to help those people.</s>FOREMAN: But now FEMA says it will reimburse some religious groups for the aid they are giving to storm victims. And since some spread their religious beliefs while helping, advocates of church- state separation are steaming.</s>BARRY LYNN: You simply can't dump money into a church collection plate and say, well, you did some good work, we won't even ask the question whether you also used this money to try to convert people to your religious beliefs.</s>FOREMAN: The largest faith groups are wary of taking tax money and donations from taxpayers. The Southern Baptist Convention and the Salvation Army say they will not ask for government aid. But if charities must take over a significant share of rebuilding...</s>MAJOR GEORGE HOOD, SALVATION ARMY: We will entertain from the federal government opportunities to be subcontractors to support them and to work with these families over an extended period of time.</s>FOREMAN (on camera): And you're saying charity groups alone just can't do that?</s>HOOD: Can't do it by ourselves. Nor can the donor public underwrite all of the expenses.</s>FOREMAN: The folks at St. Vincent De Paul's will take any help they can get right now, because they are giving until it hurts. Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.</s>COOPER: There are so many in need tonight. Ahead on the program, mean-spirited politics, criminal indictments, vendettas, a gumbo of charges and countercharges involving the Republican leader of the House. It's been a day on Capitol Hill. This is NEWSNIGHT.