President Donald Trump on Thursday, May 4, 2017, signed a new executive order aimed at weakening the enforcement of a law that bars churches and tax-exempt groups from endorsing political candidates. "After careful review of the order's text we have determined that the order does not meaningfully alter the ability of religious institutions or individuals to intervene in the political process".
While the "Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty" order, signed on the National Day of Prayer, calls for the IRS to ease enforcement of the rarely enforced "Johnson Amendment", the law can not be officially quashed, though, without a vote from Congress. The federal government, he said, will never ever penalize someone for their religious beliefs.
According to a summary released by the White House on Wednesday, the order addresses three areas of concern.
"He's getting all kinds of brownie points from the religious right", Gaylor said. He said he was fulfilling a campaign pledge to "take action" on religious liberty.
As a candidate and shortly after taking office, Trump declared that he would "totally destroy" what is known as the Johnson Amendment, the long-standing ban on churches and other tax-exempt organizations supporting political candidates.
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"That is why I am signing today an executive order to defend the freedom of religion and speech in America, the freedoms that we've wanted; the freedoms that you fought for so long, and we are doing it in just a little while right over here", Trump said. "WE NEED SOME STATUTES, WE NEED SOME LAWSTODAY TO PROTECT THE FIRSTAMENDMENT" Bob Vander Plaats the President of The Family Leader in Urbandale - saysPresident Trump signing thisexecutive order is a step in theright direction. The IRS is officially tasked with investigating suspected violators of the law, though only one organization has lost its exemption as a result of IRS action in the six decades the law has been in place. "We're going to start protecting religious liberty instead of assaulting it".
Trump's order targets the Johnson Amendment - sponsored by then-Sen.
A spokesperson for the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa told KCCI, "President Trump's executive order is risky and ill-advised for the government's interest and for houses of worship".
Opponents of the Johnson Amendment say such punishment is rarely seen because pastors are intimidated into silence. The FFRF is asking the court to declare the order unconstitutional.
Rolling back the Johnson Amendment does not favor any particular religious views over others, and the president has broad authority to decide not to enforce certain laws, said Robin Fretwell Wilson, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law.
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