[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[HOUS]
[Page 7572]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        JOHNSON AMENDMENT REPEAL

  (Mr. BANKS of Indiana asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BANKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, in light of this morning's long 
overdue executive order on religious freedom and free speech, I rise 
today to thank my colleagues in Congress on their support for a 
thorough reform of the Johnson amendment, which has hindered the 
ability of faith-based nonprofits and churches from engaging in free 
speech and exercising freedom of religion.
  Since 1954, the Johnson amendment has given the IRS the broad 
authority to censor the free speech of pastors, churches, and other 
tax-exempt organizations across America.
  The IRS' vague interpretation of prohibited forms of speech under 
this law has led to uncertainty about what speech constitutes a formal 
violation.
  Furthermore, when the Johnson amendment was originally adopted, it 
was passed without debate, committee hearings, or any other procedure 
we use in Congress today.
  We need to allow America's churches, pastors, and other faith leaders 
to speak freely on all spheres of life, including relevant political 
candidates and elections. We need to return free speech back to our 
spiritual leaders and faith-based organizations without fear of 
government censorship.
  Thank you, Mr. President, for acting to ensure that America's 
churches will again be a safe place to discuss all important matters in 
life. While today's actions are a strong start, there is more work to 
be done to protect religious freedom in the United States of America.

                          ____________________