Agape Press News Briefs 
Commentary & News Briefs
Wednesday, October 2, 2002

...After a tough debate last night in the House chamber, Congressman Walter Jones' Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act was voted down this morning. If it had passed, the bill would have freely allowed political speech inside churches without the fear of the loss of tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. When the vote finally came in, the legislation was defeated 237-178. There were 16 abstentions. Following this action by the House, churches will remain the only place where "free speech" is not allowed in the United States. In the final vote, 45 Republicans joined forces with 191 Democrats to defeat the effort to revise the IRS code. Only ten Democrats jumped ranks to vote in favor the change. Michael Schwartz of Concerned Women for America says someone should find out how many of those representatives who voted against the bill have made personal campaign appearances in churches. The "hypocrisy factor," he says, should not be ignored.