University President John Garvey’s monthly Catholic News Service column was published on why not to repeal the Johnson Amendment. See below.
From: Catholic Philly Date: Feb. 21, 2017Author: John Garvey
At the National Prayer Breakfast this month, President Donald Trump promised to "totally destroy" the Johnson Amendment "and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution." I must confess that, on the list of things I hope the new administration will accomplish this year, this one is fairly far down.
The Johnson Amendment is named for President Lyndon Johnson, who inserted the provision as a floor amendment to the 1954 tax code. Johnson was then a freshman senator, engaged in an unpleasant primary election fight with a young conservative Catholic state representative from Beeville, Texas.
This was at the peak of Joe McCarthy's anti-communist witch hunt, and several right-wing nonprofits had supported Johnson's opponent. Johnson worried that their charges of liberalism would hurt him. ...
Read more about Garvey's expertise.