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The Johnson Amendment is under attack. The legal prohibition against preachers endorsing candidates from the pulpit would be repealed if bills in the House ([link removed]) and Senate ([link removed]) pass this year. When you see a bill with a vague and seemingly patriotic title, like the Free Speech Fairness Act, you know it's probably a problem. That’s why we’ll be fighting this bill on lobby day.
The Free Speech Fairness Act doesn’t just open up churches to political speech, it does so for all other nonprofits as well. The Johnson Amendment became law seven decades ago because Congress decided that nonprofits including churches and other houses of worship should engage in educational, social service, and community service activities, not overt political activities, in exchange for their tax exemption. Senator Lankford and Congressman Harris apparently think it’s time to change that and allow churches and all these other groups to endorse or oppose candidates.

Churches are ready-made audiences for political candidates and campaigns. Church leaders usually have more influence over their congregations than nonprofit leaders have over their memberships. Some pastors, rabbis, and imams have already ignored Johnson Amendment restrictions and we have seen the results: congregations have been told that God wants them to vote for a certain candidate, and congregations have been told that another candidate is a demon in the biblical sense, which they take seriously. I don’t think this is the type of speech the IRS should begin subsidizing through the nonprofit status.

There isn’t room here to go into the possibilities of political campaigns legally or illegally donating to a house of worship or other nonprofits in exchange for an endorsement, or the ramifications of televised and streamed church services with political endorsements. Letting churches and other 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations endorse candidates is a bad idea.

We would really appreciate your help on Lobby Day, March 10, in fighting the Free Speech Fairness Act. If you haven’t done this before, we will go over the message, the logistics, we’ll schedule your meetings, and we’ll make sure someone who is experienced is in your group. You can learn more andregister here ([link removed]) .

Since this has been all about nonprofits and tax status, it seems like a good time to mention a small change to the tax code in 2026. According to The Tax Foundation,

Taxpayers who take the standard deduction have not typically been able to deduct their charitable donations on their tax returns. The {big 2025 tax bill}, however, creates a permanent above-the-line deduction for charitable donations of $1,000 per filer who takes the standard deduction beginning in tax year 2026.

The Secular Coalition for America has a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm that focuses on education about church-state separation and federal legislation affecting nonreligious Americans, and we take donations ([link removed]) . I’ll let you connect the dots there.


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Scott MacConomy, Director of Policy ad Government Affairs at the Secular Coalition for America, wears a blue suit and stands with his arms crossed over his chest in front of the United States Capitol Building.

Your advocate,

Scott MacConomy
Director of Policy and Government Affairs
Secular Coalition for America
[email protected]
Did someone forward this to you? You can sign up at secular.org ([link removed]) with your email and zip code.

The Secular Coalition for America works every day to defend the separation of religion and government and to fight anti-democratic ideologies like Christian nationalism. Your support for this work is vital.

Donate to protect equal rights for nonreligious Americans! ([link removed])

P.S. Please consider leaving a legacy gift to the Secular Coalition for America ([link removed]) . The protection of our secular values requires eternal vigilance.

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