Democrats eke out small win over church provision in tax bill

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Language repealing the Johnson Amendment has been removed from the GOP tax bill

Democrats won a minor political victory this Thursday when they pressured GOP lawmakers to remove a provision about religious organizations supporting political candidates from the proposed GOP tax bill.

The removal marks the seeming conclusion to one of President Trump’s consistent campaign promises, at least for now. Trump has long made clear his desire to repeal the Johnson Amendment: a provision forbidding nonprofit organizations, including churches, from taking explicit stances on political candidates. A provision in the House Republican tax bill had effectively repealed the Johnson Amendment, named for then-Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson in 1954.

“I don't want the IRS looming over our faith leaders in the community as they express their religious freedom,” said Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the highest-ranking Republican working on the bill, told reporters when the bill was introduced.

At the time, the news had been received with consternation by liberal groups, including the Center for Inquiry (CFI). “Eliminating the Johnson Amendment for churches will enable religious organizations use their tax exempt donations to support election campaigns,” said Jason Lemieux, CFI’s director of government affairs, in a statement.

While the House tax bill had contained a provision scrapping the amendment, the Senate bill had not. Ultimately, Senate Democrats were able to remove the provision from the final bill by citing the “Byrd Rule,” a 1974 provision that allows senators to block legislation during the reconciliation process of negotiations on budgetary matters between House and Senate if that legislation contains material deemed to be “extraneous” to the financial substance of the bill.

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https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/11/2/16598906/republican-tax-bill-religious-right-johnson-amendment-trump