Source: Americans United for Separation of Church and State

http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=7579&security=1002&news_iv_ctrl=1241

On September 27, 2005 an Americans United for Separation of Church and State press release reported, "Americans United for Separation of Church and State today sharply criticized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for its plan to fund hurricane relief efforts by churches without adequate accountability and safeguards to protect the evacuees. 'After FEMA’s ineptitude in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, it’s distressing to see the Bush administration making even more blunders,' said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. 'Before you turn over millions of taxpayer dollars to churches, there must be strict accountability and safeguards to protect the civil and religious liberty rights of those who need help.' The Washington Post reported today that FEMA plans to broadly reimburse houses of worship for their relief efforts. The move, the newspaper noted, 'would mark the first time that the government has made large-scale payments to religious groups for helping to cope with a domestic natural disaster.' Many religious groups, Lynn noted, are taking part in relief efforts and deserve the thanks of the American people. But the new FEMA directive, he said, is too open-ended and could leave storm victims vulnerable to aggressive proselytism."