Bush said in remarks prepared for the breakfast. Vice President Dick Cheney also was addressing the group. Bush, capping a week in which he has focused on less-fortunate members of society, was to propose new federal help for disabled Americans. The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual gathering of members of Congress, Cabinet members, clergy and lay people. It is a ritual dating back to 1952 when a group of lawmakers gathered to pray for newly elected President Eisenhower and his government.
Presidents traditionally attend and speak.
At least 4,000 people were expected for the event at a Washington hotel, including the leaders of Congo, Rwanda, Macedonia and Montenegro. Earlier this week, Bush unveiled a series of initiatives to allow religious institutions to compete for a share of social-services money that the government distributes. He also would provide tax breaks to encourage charitable giving. While the prayer breakfast traditionally is nonpolitical, it offered Bush a fertile audience for promoting his plan. It includes participants of many faiths, from 125 nations, who come together for a session of prayer, songs and speeches.