HOUSE OF REPS/TAXES: “A provision in the tax code overhaul before Congress could lead to an infusion of new players in elections, including churches and charities, and prompt a significant shift in the way political campaigns are financed.
The House tax bill would allow churches and other nonprofits to advocate for candidates and take political positions without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status, rolling back what’s known as the Johnson Amendment. The Senate plan doesn’t take that step, meaning it will be one of many items up for debate as lawmakers work to pass a law that President Donald Trump can sign before the year’s end. The conference committee is set to hold its first meeting Wednesday.
Some Republican senators have expressed interest in adopting the House’s approach to the Johnson Amendment. Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican who has long advocated for doing away with the Johnson Amendment, said Vice President Mike Pence in a meeting last week again ‘brought it up to me’ that the House change should be included in the final tax legislation.”
-Julie Bykowicz, “Tax Code Change Could Free Churches, Charities to Become Political Players,” The Wall Street Journal online, Dec. 11, 2017 05:30am