As Congress prepares spending bill, ECU is calling on members of Congress to reject any provisions that roll back the Johnson Amendment
Washington D.C. — Ahead of Congress’s March 23 deadline to pass a spending bill, End Citizens United (ECU) is calling on lawmakers to reject any riders in the bill that would gut the Johnson Amendment, which protects churches from being manipulated by Big Money political special interests. Under the Johnson Amendment, churches and charities, which receive a tax exempt status, cannot endorse political candidates.
“Congress should not use must-pass bills to sneak through unpopular, undemocratic provisions as a favor to their mega-donors,” said Adam Bozzi, ECU Communications Director. “This attempt to dismantle the Johnson Amendment and the few remaining campaign finance safeguards we have left is a clear example of the rigged system in Washington. The last thing we need is another vehicle for big donors to hide their political contributions – and get a tax break for doing so. Congress should reject any riders that target the Johnson Amendment or other campaign finance rules that allow for more transparency and accountability.”
End Citizens United has been a leading voice against the repeal of the Johnson Amendment since candidate Donald Trump called for its repeal. End Citizens United’s grassroots members, in coordination with a coalition of government reform groups, nonprofits, and faith based organizations, waged an intense campaign in opposition to repeal efforts in 2017.
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