The House is voting on a Head Start reauthorization bill tonight, with the major fight expected to be about whether faith-based groups that participate in the program should be able to hire and fire as they please, or should have to obey anti-discrimination laws. I think both sides of this argument have reasonable arguments, although ultimately I come down for giving the religious groups leeway. That’s where federal law has come down, too: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 exempts religious groups from anti-discrimination regulations, even when those groups receive federal funds. President Clinton signed four laws with such exemptions.

Heath Shuler, a freshman conservative Democrat, is sponsoring an amendment to the Head Start bill that praises religious groups to the skies but does not give them freedom in making employment decisions. His cosponsors include Brad Ellsworth and Dave Loebsack, who are also freshman from previously Republican seats.

You can see why the Democratic leadership would want this crew to give it cover on faith-based groups, but it’s harder to see why they would go along. Some of these Democrats need their social-conservative credentials. On this issue, even some prominent liberal evangelicals (notably Ron Sider) are against them.