Obama’s White House office has been saying they’ll deal with the religious groups hiring issue when it comes up. Well, it’s come up.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State announced yesterday that they’ve asked the Justice Department to review federal grants for 9 faith-based charities that discriminate in hiring — that is, they only hire members of their flock.

“In providing these grants, the U.S. Department of Justice is unconstitutionally aiding religion,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United’s executive director. “There’s no reason why organizations that evangelize or that discriminate in hiring on religious grounds should ever receive a penny from the government, let alone millions of dollars.”

One way or another, the White House now has to deal with this. One would assume that a lawsuit will be forthcoming should Holder fail to act. See AU’s release and a list of the nine charities they’ve flagged here.

Speaking of the faith-based office, Georgetown U. professor Jacques Berlinerblau says journalists are not asking the tough questions about it, specifically about its decision to not make a decision on hiring.