The FFRF Action Fund is praising U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin, co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus for leading a congressional sign-on letter calling on IRS Commissioner, Billy Long, to withdraw a deeply flawed legal motion that, if accepted, would gut the Johnson Amendment’s long-standing protections and permit houses of worship to engage in partisan political activity from the pulpit — free from accountability and disclosure.
In addition to Reps. Huffman and Raskin, the letter was signed by Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Suzanne Bonamici, Julia Brownley, Greg Casar, Sean Casten, Lizzie Fletcher, Laura Friedman, Robert Garcia, Pramila Jayapal, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mark Pocan, Delia C. Ramirez, Emily Randall, Andrea Salinas, Rashida Tlaib and Nydia Velázquez.
The IRS’s actions attempt to reframe pulpit-based political endorsements as harmless “family discussions,” sidestepping decades of settled law. If accepted, this reinterpretation would allow religious institutions to openly campaign from the pulpit and invite both religious and secular 501(c)(3) organizations to ignore the federal prohibition on partisan political activity — without risking their tax-exempt status.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, president of the FFRF Action Fund, warned of the broader consequences.
“The Johnson Amendment is one of the few safeguards preventing our tax dollars from being weaponized for partisan political campaigns conducted from religious pulpits. The IRS’s attempt to redefine electioneering as a casual ‘family discussion’ is a dangerous move that would unravel 70 years of precedent and flood our politics with undisclosed, unaccountable religious influence. This is not about free speech — it’s about paving the way for Christian nationalism to be subsidized by taxpayers. We are grateful to Representatives Huffman and Raskin and numerous members of Congress for standing up to the Trump administration.”
The Johnson Amendment, passed in 1954, prohibits all 501(c)(3) organizations — including churches — from endorsing or opposing political candidates. While other nonprofits must apply for tax-exempt status and submit annual financial disclosures, houses of worship receive automatic exemption and are not required to file annual returns. This lack of transparency, combined with weak enforcement, creates a pathway for churches to become vehicles for partisan activity — with no accountability. FFRF has long defended the Johnson Amendment as a key protection against political interference in the free exercise of religion or lack thereof.
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.