Call to action: Federal voucher scheme, other troubling provisions in budget bill worry faith leaders ahead of vote
UPDATE on May 22, 2025: Early this morning, the House of Representatives narrowly passed its version of the budget reconciliation bill, and it now heads to the Senate. The school voucher proposal is still part of the bill, and BJC has a new page to keep up with the latest developments on the bill and ways you can take action. Visit BJConline.org/budgetbill2025 for the latest.
ORIGINAL POST:
As I posted last week, a critical piece of legislation hidden within the so-called “big, beautiful bill” is a national school voucher program, a tax scheme that would allow wealthy donors a reimbursement in the form of tax credits for funding tuition scholarships to private schools, including religious schools. Essentially, taxpayers would be forced to subsidize religious education on a national scale.
The “big, beautiful bill,” which also carves away at health, nutrition, education, and clean energy to bankroll tax cuts for the affluent and to steer more money to the military, is currently being rushed to a vote by speaker Mike Johnson.
What does this mean?
That the time is NOW for members of the U.S. House of Representatives to hear from their constituents, and the time is NOW for you to act. That is the urgent message from BJC ahead of this imminent vote on the floor of the House that could have serious consequences for people who care about religious liberty and social justice.
So here’s what you can do: First, contact your lawmakers about this problematic provision using the simple form that BJC set up. There is a sample email that you can use or edit to make it your own.
Second, submit a video or audio testimonial to BJC telling us why this school voucher proposal would harm you and your community. You can submit your video or audio message through this Google form.
And finally, join BJC Executive Director Amanda Tyler will participate in a virtual town hall with national education and policy leaders on Thursday, May 22, at 10 a.m. ET to explain why this national school voucher program is bad for religious liberty and bad for American democracy and to rally voices in opposition. You can RSVP here to learn more about this national school voucher program and what you can do to stop it.
As previously mentioned, this budget package is full of provisions that are concerning for people of faith that believe in social justice. In addition to this national school voucher program, the bill would make significant cuts to programs designed to help the poorest and most vulnerable Americans – Medicaid, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (nutrition program for women, infants and children).
As Dr. Sabrina E. Dent, director of the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation, said about the cuts:
It is an egregious and cowardly act for Congress to even contemplate a budget that will cut social service programs. Thus, it is our moral obligation to protect children and families along with their dignity by saying NO to these budget cuts.
The good news is that public outcry works, as seen by the removal of the so-called “nonprofit killer” provision from an earlier version of the budget bill. This provision allowed the Secretary of the Treasury to revoke the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit, including religious nonprofits, without justification, simply by deeming it a supporter of terrorism. Though it bears watching for as the final bill makes its way to the floor, the removal of the “nonprofit killer” provision shows that vocal opposition can still make a difference in Washington, D.C. And if ever there was a time for it, the time is now.
The budget is not just an abstract set of numbers and pet political projects. As Rev. William Barber often says, the federal budget is a moral document. It should reflect the values and priorities of the American people. This reconciliation bill does neither. It turns its back on those most in need; it upends traditional religious liberty guardrails that protect soul freedom; it decimates our public schools.
