The Johnson Amendment has tricked pastors and religious leadership into silence for too long. It has suppressed the truth, hindered moral accountability within our government, and prevented the church and nonprofit organizations from fulfilling their role to guide our nation’s future.

When our nation desperately needs a moral compass, the Johnson Amendment puts a muzzle on pastors and churches, which is exactly what it was created to do. We have the opportunity right now to repeal this anti-Free Speech IRS law and return free speech to churches and places of worship.

On Monday, Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) and Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Free Speech Fairness Act to repeal the 1954 Johnson Amendment that would stop the IRS from silencing America’s pastors, churches, and non-profits. Congress needs to act now! Repeal the Johnson Amendment by passing the Free Speech Fairness Act.

The press release from Rep. Harris correctly states that since “1954, the Johnson Amendment in the tax code has suppressed the free speech of religious leaders, churches, and nonprofits by threatening the loss of tax-exempt status if they simply speak for or against any political candidate.”

This 1954 amendment to the IRS Code originated with then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson as a political vendetta to get back at a nonprofit organization that opposed his candidacy. His clear intent was to silence nonprofit organizations, including churches and pastors, from speaking about political campaigns.

This amendment was never meant to “protect” anything besides politicians.

Sen. Johnson didn’t allow debate but rather pushed this amendment through Congress. This effectively placed a muzzle on faith leaders and conservative voices. And for 71 years, many pastors and churches have remained silent believing the tax-exempt status of the church could be revoked.

Groups like the Freedom From Religious Foundation and the ACLU scare and intimidate pastors and tell them they better shut up and be silent. Even though no church has ever lost its tax-exempt status for speaking about political candidates, the mere threat is often enough to silence pastors.

Let’s remove the muzzle and replace it with a megaphone!

This silence is leading to moral decay.

The IRS Code has been selectively enforced under Democratic administrations to intimidate religious organizations and prevent them from freely expressing their beliefs in the public square.

For too long, the Johnson Amendment has been used as a weapon to silence churches, pastors, and nonprofit organizations from speaking out on the moral and political issues that shape our nation. This law, which was passed in 1954 without debate, has placed a gag order on faith leaders, preventing them from guiding their congregations in matters of public policy and elections.

Now is the time to repeal this unconstitutional restriction and restore the voice of the church in America!

In 2011, I served on a Congressional Task Force under the request of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to evaluate the Johnson Amendment. This was due to our decades-long leadership in defending religious liberty.

This panel examined how the Johnson Amendment has been used to silence churches and nonprofit organizations. My committee recommended repealing the Johnson Amendment. Now it is time to finish what we started in 2011.

Our team is uniquely ready to take this fight directly to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and with your help, we can ensure that they hear the voices of countless Americans who demand the restoration of free speech in the pulpit and beyond.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and free exercise of religion — but the Johnson Amendment directly attacks these fundamental rights. It was designed to suppress pastors and faith leaders from influencing the political landscape, and it has been enforced selectively to stifle conservative voices.

This must stop. The church should be a guiding light in our nation, not a silent spectator.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and free exercise of religion — but the Johnson Amendment directly contradicts these fundamental rights. It was designed to suppress pastors and faith leaders from influencing the political landscape, and it has been enforced selectively to stifle conservative voices.

The time for silence is over. This is a defining moment for America. Your support allows us to fight for faith and freedom.

I encourage you to sign up for a recurring gift. For those who sign up for a recurring monthly gift of 25 dollars or more, we will send you our pocket-size book called the Patriot’s Handbook of American Liberty as a special thank you.

For faith and freedom,
Mat Staver, Founder & Chairman
John Stemberger, President

Sources:

“Free Speech Fairness Act” U.S. House. Accessed March 31, 2025. Markharris.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/markharris.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/119-text_free-speech-fairness-act-2.pdf.

“Mat Staver Appointed to Panel Regarding Religious and Nonprofit Groups.” Liberty Counsel, September 18, 2011. Lc.org/newsroom/details/mat-staver-appointed-to-panel-regarding-religious-and-nonprofit-groups.

“Rep. Harris and Sen. Lankford Lead Fight to Stop IRS from Silencing Pastors, Churches, & Nonprofits.” Congressman Mark Harris, March 31, 2025. Markharris.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-harris-and-sen-lankford-lead-fight-stop-irs-silencing-pastors-churches.