POVERTY SOMETIMES A RELIGIOUS ISSUE POLITICIANS RELY ON BELIEFS FOR GUIDANCE.

Byline: LISA FRIEDMAN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Gary Miller was an infant when his father left town. His mom raised the family on her earnings as a Safeway checkout clerk while his grandfather, a devoutly religious school district custodian, took primary responsibility for the boy's upbringing.

These days, when Washington debates poverty policy, the Republican congressman from Diamond Bar said the influence of his own family -- just as much as the Bible -- has shaped his view on the role of government aid.

``I think helping an individual does not mean they rely on you for the rest of your life,'' Miller said. ``As I read the Bible, it does not tell me to be reliant on government at all.

``It tells me quite the opposite: It requires me to act.''

Poverty and what role government should play in the lives of the 36 million Americans facing it spark the most faith-based and personal reflections among Southern California lawmakers.

Many say an intimate combination of religious teachings and life experience directly influences their votes in Congress and the policies -- from welfare to health care -- that they shape for California and the nation.

``I know what it's like when somebody brings a bag of potatoes to your house when you're 5 years old,'' said Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks.

Raised in East Los Angeles, Gallegly said his parents never had a checking account and never owned a home.

His own career as a successful real estate broker was launched by scrappy entrepreneurship: He bought old cars, fixed and sold them for a profit, and eventually earned enough to buy his first piece of property.

But the distasteful memory of having to accept charity as a child still lingers and, he said, has reinforced his opposition to public assistance.

``I believe we should do everything possible we can to get somebody a fishing pole,'' he said, referring to the adage that giving a man a fish will help him eat for a day but teaching a man to fish will help him eat for a lifetime.

``I saw firsthand it can be done,'' he said.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, and Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, said their philosophies on poverty stem directly from the Jewish concept of ``tikkun olam'' -- a Hebrew phrase that translates to ``repairing the world'' -- and of ``tzedakah.''

Although the Hebrew word is commonly thought to mean charity, Waxman and Sherman note that it literally translates into obligation: Giving to the poor under Jewish law is an act of justice.

``That's the area most informed by religious values ... The Scriptures are clear that you must help the poor,'' Sherman said.

``It's doing what you have to do to live in a civilized place,'' Waxman said, noting the philosophy led him to support many government aid programs.

``Acts of private charity are based on whenever you're in the mood, and a lot of people with money aren't often in the mood,'' he said.

Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, who is Mormon, recalled working on a pear farm in the Crescenta Valley where the entire community shared the responsibility of weeding, picking fruit and canning. All of the goods went to the community's storehouse, and anyone who fell on hard times could take what they needed.

``We have a society where everybody looks out for each other,'' McKeon said.

As chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee who has taken the lead in reauthorizing the 1996 welfare reform laws, McKeon said his faith and experience is integral to his belief that mandatory work requirements be part of the package.

``Just like we do in the church,'' he said. ``Anybody can have a bump in life. They can have an illness, they can lose their job, and they should have a support system. They shouldn't feel like second-class citizens.

``I look at welfare programs almost as slavery,'' he said. ``To need the government to live is demeaning. It hurts the spirit and places them in bondage to government. It's important to get people to take care of themselves.''

Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, said she, too, is shaped on the issue by the experience of her family, particularly her parents' evening discussions of their working conditions.

Solis' mother worked on Mattel's assembly line, while her father, who did battery recycling, was active in his union as a shop steward, helping workers receive protective gear as well as retirement and health benefits.

While Solis said she doesn't actively apply religious teachings to policy issues, she said she often thinks of Matthew 25:35-40: ``I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.''

When it comes to policy, Solis said, ``I ask myself, `OK, are we doing things that are going to help people?' That's pretty much my way of looking at public policy. A lot of the questions I ask are, `Who is benefiting from this?'

``I don't think it's so much religion as a social conscience.''

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com

[phone]