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Tyler: Advocates for keeping nonprofits nonpartisan prevailed
The omnibus spending bill released tonight does not have language undermining the “Johnson Amendment.” Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, released the following statement:
“Those who depend on houses of worship and community nonprofits can breathe a sigh of relief, as concerted efforts to weaken the longstanding law that keeps the 501(c)(3) sector free from partisan campaigning were rebuked yet again.
Some hoped they could slip a bad policy change into must-pass legislation, but advocates for keeping nonprofits nonpartisan spoke up and prevailed.”
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Additional Resources:
- The BJC was one of more than 100 religious groups that urged Congressnot to weaken the Johnson Amendment. Visit BJConline.org/CommunityNotCandidates
- More than 4,500 faith leaders from all 50 states have urged Congress to keep the protections of the Johnson Amendment. Read the letter and see who signed at Faith-Voices.org
- More than 5,500 nonprofits have asked Congress to keep the current law. Read their letter at GiveVoice.org
- Tyler and Rabbi David Saperstein wrote a joint op-ed for the Washington Post in February 2018: Trump vowed to destroy the Johnson Amendment. Thankfully, he has failed.
- Visit BJConline.org/JohnsonAmendment for more on the law that protects houses of worship and other nonprofits from political pressure and additional dangers that come with endorsing and opposing candidates.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty is an 82-year-old religiously based organization working to defend religious freedom for all people and protect the institutional separation of church and state in the historic Baptist tradition.
