Bill Introduced To Lift IRS Ban On Church Politicking.

Legislation has been introduced in Congress to repeal the portion of the Internal Revenue Service Code that bars houses of worship from engaging in partisan politicking.

Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.) calls his proposal the "Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act" (H.R. 2357). Introduced June 28, the measure would repeal sections of the IRS Code that prohibit churches from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. Although the prohibition currently applies to all nonprofit groups, Jones' bill would affect only houses of worship.

Jay Sekulow, chief attorney with TV preacher Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), was quick to endorse the measure. On his "Jay Sekulow Live" radio program July 25, Sekulow aired an interview with Jones conducted by Gene Kapp, an ACLJ staffer. During the interview, Jones talked about having hearings this year.

"I spoke to Dick Armey yesterday, who's the majority leader," Jones said. "I told him about this legislation, and he's encouraged me to talk to one of his top staffers to, you know, bring that staff person the information.... We should have a hearing on this bill, I'm hoping some time in September."

Jones, who has received a 100 percent rating on Christian Coalition scorecards, also told listeners that attorneys at the ACLJ had helped him draft the legislation. He cited in particular Sekulow and Colby May, a longtime ACLJ lawyer.

"Colby and I started talking about a year and a half ago about this legislation, how we should couch it and move forward with it," Jones said. "What it's going to take is the people that listen to your show and these other shows to contact their member of Congress, tell them about H.R. 2357, ask that member of Congress to join me in trying to push for a hearing on this bill some time in September."

Elsewhere during the interview, Jones asserted that removing the provision would help "men and women who are preachers, and I keep using `priests' and `rabbis.' In this country, a man who's serving our Lord, whether they be a Jew or Protestant, in all fairness, they are guaranteed by the Constitution the right to speak their mind and their heart. And that should apply to the pulpit."

Jones has also plugged his proposal on Robertson's nationally broadcast "700 Club" program.

The relevant section of the IRS Code states that non-profit organizations that hold a 501(c)(3) tax exemption may "not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office."

The Christian Coalition and other Religious Right organizations oppose the language because it blocks their efforts to convert churches into cogs in their political machines. Were the language done away with, fundamentalist churches would be free to work with the Coalition to help elect Religious Right candidates to public office.

H.R. 2357 has six congressional cosponsors: Rep. John Cooksey (R-La.), Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.), Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.), Rep. Van Hilleary (R-Tenn.), Rep. Thomas G. Tancredo (R-Colo.) and Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., a Virginia independent who usually votes with the Republicans.

The measure has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. Americans United's Legislative Department is tracking the bill and will alert members if it starts to move.