Christopher Shays: “I too strongly oppose H.R. 2357, the House of Worship Political Speech Protection Act, because I believe it flies in the…”

“I too strongly oppose H.R. 2357, the House of Worship Political Speech Protection Act, because I believe it flies in the face of our campaign finance laws and more importantly would create a large soft money loophole. I also have serious concerns the legislation would erode the separation of church and State, a bedrock value of our Nation and one I strongly support. Religious institutions should be able to speak out on issues, and current law already gives these institutions the absolute right to use their pulpit to address an issue they wish. One has to wonder, therefore, why this legislation is necessary. What religious institutions cannot do is use their tax-exempt donations to contribute to a candidate's political campaign. H.R. 2357 would allow religious organizations to maintain their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, which allows them to receive tax-deductible contributions while permitting them to contribute to politicians and political campaigns.”