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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Sen. Mike Lee along with more than a dozen Republican lawmakers urged the Trump administration Wednesday to ensure that faith-based entities, including houses of worship, don’t have to give up their religious beliefs to obtain federal coronavirus relief funds.
It was Congress’ intent that the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program and expansion of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program would help businesses and nonprofits, including those with faith missions, stay afloat and keep employees on their payrolls during the health crisis, the senators wrote in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Jovita Carranza, administrator of the Small Business Administration.
Though they say they were glad to see the SBA earlier this month make it clear to lenders and borrowers that faith-based entities are able to participate in the loan programs, the senators wrote that the job is not done.
“As we repeatedly brought to your attention, without these assurances, many of our nation’s most impactful faith-based entities would have been unable to participate in the PPP due to undue restrictions on their sincerely held religious beliefs, thereby forcing them to choose between abandoning their faith mission or closing their doors to both employees and the communities they serve,” according to the letter.
While the guidelines are a helpful resource, the administration must now ensure that the policies are adhered to, and that faith-based entities and churches remain on an equal playing field with all other businesses that qualify for the loans, the senators say.
“The administration has done a good job protecting faith-based entities so far,” Lee said. “Let’s make sure they are not discriminated against as the crisis continues.”
They senators say they want the administration to make sure that no otherwise eligible organization will be disqualified from receiving a loan because of its religious nature, identity or speech. Also that loans can be used to pay the salaries of ministers and other staff engaged in its religious mission.
Further, the senators also seek assurance that a faith-based entity receiving a loan would retain its independence, autonomy, right of expression, religious character and authority over its governance, and is not excluded because leadership, membership or employment is limited to people who share its faith and practice.
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American Atheists, for one, objects to Congress making the loans available to churches to pay for “inherently religious” activity, such as clergy salary.
“Every dollar that the government provides to a church is one less that is available to businesses or individuals in need. Even worse, SBA has given churches special exemptions to make them eligible even if they are part of a large, wealthy denomination,” the organization says.
Churches and other places of worship are already immune from the registration and tax filing requirements that apply to other nonprofits. The government should not be giving them money for unconstitutional purposes, particularly when there is no accountability or oversight, according to American Atheists.
In the letter, the senators ask the administration to ensure that no otherwise qualified faith-based entity is denied relief due to its affiliation with other entities as an aspect of its religious practice. It also asks the administration to allow faith-based organizations full participation in the programs and to monitor lenders to ensure they are not discriminated against.
