Bush Unveils Plan for Disabled

By RON FOURNIER
.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush sought on Thursday to show the compassion
behind his brand of conservatism, unveiling a multimillion dollar plan to aid
disabled Americans and promising to stop government from ``discriminating
against religious institutions'' that help the needy.

In separate events, Bush capped a weeklong campaign designed to reach out to
moderate voters. Advisers say the president will turn next week to another
challenge: promoting tax cuts by trying to show they would benefit families,
small businesses, the high-tech industry and the sluggish economy. He plans
to submit the package to Congress late in the week.

His Thursday began with the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual gathering of
lawmakers, foreign heads of state and spiritual leaders. Bush promised to
respect the separation of church from state even as he tries to funnel more
government money to church groups.

``I'm interested in what is constitutional and I'm interested in what
works,'' Bush said, promoting his plan to make government money available to
religious organizations that help the needy or provide other community
services.

Promising to lift regulatory barriers and allow religious groups to compete
for a share of social-services money distributed by the government, Bush
said, ``The days of discriminating against religious institutions simply
because they are religious must come to an end.''

The line drew a huge round of applause.

Mindful of critics, Bush said his proposal was not an effort to impose
religion on anybody. ``An American president serves people of every faith,
and serves some with no faith at all,'' he said.

Bush, a Methodist, quoted scripture and said religion was important in his
life, just as President Clinton and several of his predecessors have done.
Clinton used the 1998 gathering to apologize for his affair with Monica
Lewinsky.

Later, Bush filled up the East Room to discuss a series of proposals to help
disabled Americans. They include:

Increase spending for research and development.

Provide low-interest loans to help disabled people buy computers and other
equipment needed to work from home.

Increase state spending for educating disabled students.

Support 10 pilot projects to develop transportation plans for the disabled.

Create a national commission on mental health to study the nation's health
services delivery system.

The ``New Freedom Initiative'' was first outlined in great detail in the
presidential campaign, but Bush used the White House to restate and promote
his intentions - just as he did for his education and religious packages.

``I'm proud that the last great reform in this cause, the Americans with
Disability Act, bears the signature of my dad,'' said Bush, whose father
signed the act in 1990.

During a campaign stop in June, Bush proposed tripling funds for research
into independent living to $33 million a year, creating a $20 million annual
matching fund for companies to buy telecommuting equipment such as computers
and creating a $5 million annual fund to provide technical assistance for
small businesses that face financial burdens in complying with the
disabilities law.

Bush did not provide spending figures Thursday, but aides said the costs had
changed little since June.

Bush noted that the path from the White House residence to the Oval Office
has been sloped since steps were removed to accommodate Franklin Roosevelt.

``This house is among the first places in America to accommodate people with
disabilities, and we have come a long way since the days when only a
president could hope for that consideration,'' Bush said.

Meanwhile, Bush's communications team met Thursday to review plans to promote
his $1.6 trillion tax package next week. Aides said he will participate in
daily events designed to highlight arguments for massive tax cuts.

On Monday, families will join Bush for an event to promote tax credits
targeted to them and the proposed tax-rate reductions that the White House
says will benefit nearly every taxpayer. White House aides were busy lining
up business owners and other taxpayers for events throughout the week.

The weeklong blitz is part of the White House's public relations offensive
leading up to the submission of Bush's budget blueprint and his first address
to Congress; both events are expected late this month.

During the campaign, Bush proposed to increase on the $500 child tax credit;
reduce and simplify tax rates by 2006; reduce the ``marriage penalty'' for
two-income families; gradually repeal the estate tax; make permanent a tax
credit for business research and development and allow taxpayers who don't
itemize to deduct charitable contributions.

Advisers said he will submit the same plan to Congress, though he could make
parts of it retroactive to Jan. 1 or accelerate some of the phase-in dates.

AP-NY-02-01-01 1829EST

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.