Jones Introduces New Bill To Restore Freedom Of Speech To America's Pulpits

"I said I would continue this fight in the 108th Congress, and I meant it. I am committed to restoring the First Amendment rights to our nation's religious leaders."

January 9, 2003

Washington, DC - Third district Congressman Walter B. Jones has introduced HR 235, The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act. This new bill seeks to return the freedom of speech to our nation's houses of worship. The legislation would repeal the authority if the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax status of a church, temple, or mosque whose clergy speak out on issues that the IRS deems to be too political.

Congressman Jones, who introduced similar legislation in the 107th Congress, vowed to make this legislation one of his top priorities in the 108th. The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act differs from legislation in the last Congress, in that it focuses more narrowly on issues of free speech, and is thus expected to gather even wider support in the new Congress.

"Since the close of last year's Congress, I have heard from thousands of people, many of them pastors, encouraging me not to give up the battle to see this legislation passed. I said I would continue this fight in the 108th Congress, and I meant it," Congressman Jones said today. "I am committed to restoring First Amendment rights to our nation's religious leaders. As many pastors have told me in the last year, it is their God-given duty to speak to their congregations as they feel led. It should not be up to the IRS to tell them what they can and cannot say! This government was not formed to limit the speech of the church."

"The language in this bill is a bit different than the language of the last. The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act deals with the freedom of speech and nothing else," Congressman Jones explained following the introduction of the bill. "I wanted to address some of the concerns from last year's debate. This issue is focused on the free speech of America's pastors, priests and rabbis. It isn't about campaign fundraising, it never was. This new language fully expresses that."