The following article by Kate Ackley was posted on the Roll Call website December 6, 2017:
Johnson Amendment repeal effort waged on many fronts
As lobbyists spar over whether the final version of the GOP’s tax bill should roll back a rule that prevents churches and charities from endorsing political candidates, their efforts could add another wrinkle to the year-end spending debate.
Although a House proposal to scale back what’s known as the Johnson Amendment may not survive the tax overhaul, supporters of the change could turn to a spending measure as Plan B. And groups wishing to preserve the Johnson Amendment, which has been a part of the tax code since 1954, say they will be on alert.
“If it doesn’t make it in the tax bill, we need to watch,” said Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen, who supports keeping the restrictions in place.
A partial rollback of the Johnson Amendment is already included in a fiscal 2018 House appropriations measure. Continue reading “Politicking by Churches Fight Mixes With Tax, Spending Debates”