Story highlights
It is the policy of the Trump administration "to protect and vigorously promote religious liberty"
The order will direct the IRS to exercise "maximum enforcement discretion"
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday meant to allow churches and other religious organizations to become more active politically, though the actual implications of the document appeared limited.
The order, which Trump inked during a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, directs the IRS not to take “adverse action” against churches and other tax-exempt religious organizations participating in political activity that stops short of an endorsement of a candidate for office.
But pastors are already free to deliver political speeches, and regularly do. Churches and other tax-exempt organizations are restricted from endorsing or explicitly opposing political candidates under the 1954 Johnson Amendment, but the executive order Trump signed Thursday makes clear that those activities would still not be permitted.
Instead, the order prevents the IRS from expanding its restrictions on political activity by religious groups. It also provides “regulatory relief” for organizations that object on religious grounds to a provision in Obamacare that mandates employers provide certain health services, including coverage for contraception.
Evangelical Christian leader Russell Moore said the order is “more symbolic than substantive.”
“The very fact that religious freedom is part of the conversation and religious freedom is being affirmed I think is a step in the right direction,” he said on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” Thursday night. “Now obviously if this is the end of the story, I’m really disappointed, but I think we ought to hold out the hope that this is just the beginning and that there are more steps to be made.”
During remarks Thursday, Trump said the order would prevent religious groups from being singled out for their political views.
“We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced anymore,” Trump proclaimed, which were marking the National Day of Prayer. “And we will never, ever stand for religious discrimination. Never, ever.”
Trump’s language stood in contrast to certain steps his administration has taken to bar entry to citizens from some Muslim-majority nations and his campaign trail vows to stop all Muslims from entering the country. Courts have put his travel ban executive orders on hold – finding Trump’s own words provided evidence of a “Muslim ban.”
Religious discrimination is barred by the US Constitution.
In his remarks, Trump said that “pastors, priests and imams” were targeted by the Johnson amendment, and would be freer to engage in political activity under his executive order.
The 1954 Johnson amendment says any tax-exempt group can lose its exemption if it is found to have endorsed or actively opposed a candidate for political office. The IRS is officially tasked with investigating suspected violators of the law, though only one organization has lost its exemption as a result of IRS action in the six decades the law has been in place.
Legal experts said the order would not have a discernible effect on policy.
“President Trump’s executive order did not ease the current restrictions on political activity by religious organizations,” said Lawrence Noble, general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center. “The executive order allows the IRS to restrict the activity it currently considers political, but prohibits the IRS from expanding the restrictions to cover activity not c